 For more videos on people's struggles, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. On December 20th, the Ethiopian rebel group, the Tigray People's Liberation Front, or the TPLF, announced that it would withdraw its troops back into the Tigray province. This is a key turning point in the war which began in November 2020, when the TPLF attacked a federation military base in Tigray. Over the course of the year, the conflict has caused a massive humanitarian disaster which was compounded by allegations of the TPLF seizing aid trucks. There have also been a lot of allegations of human rights violations. The TPLF now claims that its bold act of withdrawal will be a decisive opening for peace. What have been the trajectory of events that have led to this development? How has the fighting developed in recent times? Ilya Samare, editor of Horn of Africa TV, answers these questions. Let's begin with events at the end of June, June 29, to be precise when the Government of Ethiopia declared a unilateral humanitarian ceasefire and withdrew from Tigray for several purposes, primarily to give the peasants during the rainy season a chance to plow their farmland and secondly, to give peace a chance, basically a moment of reflection on all sides, especially the people of Tigray to reflect. But what happened was that immediately upon the withdrawal, the TPLF, disemboldened by this, decided to launch massive offensive in all directions, west, south, east, towards the Amhara, the Afar region, and then westward towards the Sunni border. So that's what's been happening during the past, say, from beginning of July up to recent times, five months or five months. And the TPLF initially made advances in some fronts, particularly the Amhara from to the south and the Afar area. But it made fierce resistance, of course, during this time. There was no considerations of peace at all. It was all belligerent talk on the part of the TPLF. And of course, the international community, so-called the Western countries, the US and the European countries, didn't say anything during this time about negotiations. So it kept advancing. And as it advanced, massive atrocities, human rights abuses, massacres, to which the international community again gave deaf ear. During this time also, they were bragging that within two, three weeks they would reach to Addis Ababa. And they were saying, their top leaders were saying on record, that there is no nobody to negotiate with. Essentially, the central government is crumbling, that's what they were claiming. So Bellicose belligerent tone of voice was the only thing that we heard. But beginning of early November, the government forces regrouped massive mobilization, total mobilization. The prime minister himself decided to go to the warfront as commander-in-chief, prime minister Abiyah Ahmed Ali, that is. And so the fortunes were reversed quickly. And you saw within weeks that the TPLF forces way overstretched beyond their home base of Tigray. I mean, hundreds of kilometers far away, their logistics lines were overextended. Their troops were also decimated, overstretched on all fronts. And within a few weeks, they were routed and fleeing helters towards their home base. But in this period of time, the past couple of weeks especially, the Ethiopian national defense forces in alliance with the regional militias of the Afar and Amhara regions encircled these forces of aggression from Tigray, invasionary forces. And I must say it was a total decimation. So for the TPLF now to declare that they were withdrawing to give peace a chance, it's laughable and hypocritical indeed. It is not that they are giving peace a chance by withdrawing, they were forced, they were routed to flee. And thus this time the tone has changed and they are appealing to the United Nations, to the Western patrots to save them, to declare no flies on and that's the situation we are in right now. In light of this offer, what is the position the Ethiopian government is likely to take? What are the ways ahead for peace and what might be the requirements? Well, the Ethiopian government is saying that they have been for peace all along, that this war was not of their doing, it was imposed on them, it was a treasonous insurrection act of the TPLF that ignited the war. TPLF mind you that at times was openly declaring forced secession. And so under these circumstances having given chance, peace, all the chance, having tried all avenues, the central government has no option but to see to it that this subversive force be completely disarmed and is no longer poses a threat to national sovereignty and stability and that all the actors that were responsible for the massive atrocities, violations of human rights and war destructions have to be brought to justice. This is the position of the government of Ethiopia. At the same time they have initiated a national dialogue. A commission has been appointed by the parliament, commission for national dialogue. So all issues pertaining to the political situation in the country, all controversial or contentious issues will be discussed, all actors will be invited to the table. And through this national dialogue, national reconciliation and a path forward will be charted. So this is the only option that the government sees as a way out, as a peaceful way out, but the TPLF war mongers that have been responsible for this massive destruction have to be brought to justice is what the government is saying. And I think within the next few weeks, this adventurous war mongering of the TPLF will be brought to an end and the culprits, the criminals, war criminals brought to face justice.