Ethiopia civil war: We are ready to leave the past behind us - TPLF

A senior figure in the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) has told BBC News that the rebel group is "ready to address political problems in a peaceful and political manner."

Getachew Reda was speaking as the TPLF and Ethiopia's federal government are working out the implementation of a deal signed earlier this month ending hostilities in the two-year-long civil war.

Talking to the Hardtalk programme's Stephen Sackur from the city of Mekelle in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, Mr Getachew said that the TPLF "will be willing to hand over heavy weapons and heavy armaments as long as the security interests of Tigray are taken care of".

"We are ready to leave the past behind us, to make sure our people get the kind of respite they so richly deserve after the suffering [of] the last two years," Mr Getachew said.

The conflict has led to thousands of deaths and a humanitarian crisis in the north of the country.

The Ethiopian government and representatives from the TPLF signed up to a disarmament plan and commitment to restore services to the region.

The plan should allow aid to reach millions in urgent need of assistance. In August, the World Food Programme said more than five million people in the region faced severe hunger.

Watch the full interview on BBC World on Thursday 24 November 2022 or watch again on BBC iPlayer (UK only)