Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has held face-to-face talks with leaders of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) on implementing the ceasefire agreement as government officials hailed what they called the mutual trust between former protagonists to the two-year conflict.Friday’s talks were the first between Prime Minister Ahmed and TPLF leaders including Getachew Reda, General Tsadikan Gebretensay and Lieutenant General Tadesse Werede since the bloody conflict began in northern Ethiopia in November 2020.

Abiy along with his delegation consisting of his security adviser Redwan Hussien and Justice Minister Gedeon Timotoes met with TPLF leaders at a place called Halal Kela in Koyisha zone of Ethiopia’s southern region.

“We have assessed the implementation of the peace deal. We discussed how to successfully implement the peace deal,”said Reda who claimed the implementation of the peace deal is promising.

“There is no intention among the people of Tigray or TPLF to go back to war,” said Reda who also admitted that the conflict in northern Ethiopia has left hundreds of thousands of people dead and millions more displaced.

“We are building trust in one another,” said security adviser Redwan Hussien.

Hussien said there is better clarity and commitment to fully implement the peace deal for the good of Ethiopia and its people.