A regional force which backed the Ethiopian government in its brutal two-year war against Tigrayan rebels has withdrawn from a strategic city in Tigray, the army said Thursday.

It said the pullout by the Amhara special forces from Shire followed Wednesday's announcement by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) that it has begun surrendering its heavy weapons.

The moves are a key part of a November peace deal between the federal government and the TPLF to end the conflict in northern Ethiopia that has claimed untold numbers of lives.

"Today, the Amhara special force which had been undertaking a national mission (in Shire) with the defence force has left the area as per the agreement," the federal defence force said in a statement posted on Facebook.

Under the agreement between the once warring sides, foreign forces and those that are not part of the Ethiopian national army were to withdraw "concurrently" with the rebel disarmament.

Residents and aid workers have reported the presence of both Amhara forces and Eritrean troops in Shire and other parts of Tigray, accusing them of atrocities including murder, rape and looting.

A withdrawal of Eritrean troops, who played a key role on the battlefield backing Ethiopian government forces, has long been a demand of the Tigrayan rebels as well as Western governments.

But the peace deal makes no specific mention of the Eritrean army.

Access to Tigray remains restricted to journalists and it is not possible to independently verify the situation on the ground.

China FM urges greater African voice in global governance
Addis Ababa (AFP) Jan 11, 2023 - Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said Wednesday that Africa should have a greater voice in the UN Security Council and other international bodies, long a demand of the continent's leaders.

Qin made the call in a statement issued as he met the head of the African Union Commission who voiced frustration at what he said was the exclusion of Africa from international governance.

"We should boost the representation and voice of developing countries, especially those of African countries, in the UN Security Council and other international organizations," Qin said at the inauguration of the Chinese-funded headquarters for the African Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

AU Commission chief Moussa Mahamat Faki said it was unfair that the African continent did not have a permanent seat on the top world body.

"For several decades now we have been fighting for a reform of the international system as a whole and particularly on behalf of the United Nations Security Council," he said.

The UN Security Council is made up of 15 members, five of whom are permanent and have veto-wielding power: the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain.

The other 10 positions are filled by other countries for two-year stints, five of which are announced each year.

Qin, who is on his first overseas visit as foreign minister, rallied countries to work together "to make the global governance system more just and equitable".

"Africa should be a platform for international cooperation, not an arena for competition between major countries," he said.

- Africa tour -

Qin is on a week-long tour of Africa and will also visit Gabon, Angola, Benin and Egypt. He met Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Tuesday.

The Chinese minister was speaking a day before the French and German foreign ministers arrive in Addis Ababa on a mission to support a peace agreement signed last year to end two years of brutal war.

The African Union has sought to shake up its relations with the world and has called for two permanent African members on the powerful council, saying African issues make up most of the council's business.

"Africa refuses to be seen as an arena for influence struggles. The African continent has a vision that is contained in Agenda 2063," Faki said.

"We are open to cooperation and partnerships with everyone."

President Joe Biden in September last year said the United States would back permanent seats for Africa and Latin America in addition to previous support to include Japan and India.

Biden also backed a permanent African Union role in the Group of 20 leading economies and said he was planning a visit -- the first by a US president since 2015 -- to sub-Saharan Africa.

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China FM urges greater African voice in global governance
Addis Ababa (AFP) Jan 11, 2023
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said Wednesday that Africa should have a greater voice in the UN Security Council and other international bodies, long a demand of the continent's leaders. Qin made the call in a statement issued as he met the head of the African Union Commission who voiced frustration at what he said was the exclusion of Africa from international governance. "We should boost the representation and voice of developing countries, especially those of African countries, in the UN ... read more