(Ecofin Agency) - The ceasefire agreement recently signed by the Federal Government and Tigrayan rebels provides for the restoration of essential services that were suspended since the beginning of the war. The federal government committed to respecting the ceasefire terms to guarantee lasting peace.

Ethiopian incumbent operator Ethio Telecom announces it has restored telecom services in 27 Tigrayan towns, including the capital Mekele. The restoration comes after the operator repaired 981 kilometers of optical fiber out of the 1,800 damaged during the war between the federal government and the State of Tigray for some two years.

Frehiwot Tamiru, CEO of Ethio Telecom, explains that maintenance works are ongoing to restore services in Tigrayan regions that still had no access.

The partial restoration of the services came just weeks after the ceasefire that ended the conflict that has been ongoing since November 2020. The said ceasefire notably provides for the restoration of essential services cut off in the region since the beginning of the war. The federal government committed to respecting the terms of the ceasefire to guarantee lasting peace but, it provided no implementation timeline.

The restoration of the services allowed thousands of Tigrayan residents to access the internet for the first time in over two years. It will further expand the Ethiopian telecom market, which is currently being liberalized, and accelerate the achievement of the government's digital transformation ambitions. According to Ms. Tamiru, 61 banking agencies have reopened after the telecom services were restored.

Isaac K. Kassouwi