Photo Credit: The Kampala Report

NNA News - Ethiopia says more than 92,000 former combatants have returned to civilian life through its national rehabilitation programme, as authorities prepare to receive additional fighters seeking to leave the conflict in the northern Tigray region.

The National Rehabilitation Commission (NRC) announced the figure on Monday, 12 October, saying the former combatants had completed rehabilitation training under the country's disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) programme.

Commissioner Temesgen Tilahun said the initiative was contributing to national stability and peace by helping former members of armed groups return to their communities and resume civilian life.

The latest announcement follows the commission's efforts to reopen and expand the rehabilitation process in Tigray, where renewed military tensions have raised concerns about the implementation of the November 2022 Pretoria peace agreement.

The Ethiopian News Agency reported on 10 October that the commission had identified reception points across Tigray for combatants willing to surrender their weapons and enter the programme. Deputy Commissioner Brigadier General Derbie Mekuriaw said the commission was prepared to accelerate the process in cooperation with the region's interim administration.

The DDR programme involves disarming combatants, formally demobilising them from armed groups, providing rehabilitation and helping them return to civilian communities. Support can include vocational training, psychosocial assistance and help accessing livelihood opportunities.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which coordinates international support for the programme, said in November 2024 that Ethiopia had begun demobilisation and rehabilitation activities for 75,000 former combatants from Tigray. The programme was designed to support their transition to civilian life and contribute to longer-term peacebuilding.

The initiative is linked to the Pretoria agreement signed by the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) in November 2022. The agreement established a framework for ending hostilities and implementing disarmament and reintegration measures.

However, the renewed tensions in Tigray present a challenge for efforts to sustain the peace process. The commission has urged combatants to leave the fighting and use designated reception points to enter rehabilitation.

Tilahun said a significant number of fighters in Tigray were showing a “strong desire” to abandon the conflict and return to civilian life, according to the commission's statement reported by Xinhua. He added that preparations had been completed for temporary rehabilitation training centres in the region.

The government has described reintegration as part of its wider effort to promote stability and development following years of armed conflict. The long-term outcome will depend not only on the number of former combatants processed, but also on whether those returning to civilian life can access livelihoods and rebuild their lives in communities affected by conflict.