Two Years on from the Pretoria Agreement: What’s Next for Ethiopia?
The 2020-2022 war in northern Ethiopia was one of the largest and most devastating conflicts of the twenty-first century. Two years on from the signing of the Pretoria Agreement that ended the hostilities, only a fragile peace holds and progress has been slow. Meanwhile, conflicts in the Amhara and Oromia regions continue to churn. What’s next for Ethiopia? And how should an incoming U.S. administration and the new U.S. Congress think about priorities for Ethiopia in 2025 to help ensure lasting peace?
Please join Georgetown, ECDC, The Open Society Foundations, Refugees International, and Amnesty International USA for a two-panel virtual conference exploring these questions.
Thursday, November 21
9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET
Welcome
Jeremy Konyndyk, President, Refugees International
Opening Remarks
U.S. Representative Jim McGovern
Panel I: The Pretoria Agreement at Two: Progress and Challenges
A tentative peace remains in much of Ethiopia’s Tigray region, despite simmering political tensions. However, much of the Pretoria Agreement has yet to be implemented, including demilitarization efforts and the return of hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the conflict. What are Tigray’s prospects for peace? And what comes next?
Moderator
Lauren Blanchard, African Affairs Specialist, Congressional Research Service
Speakers
Mehari Taddele Maru, Professor, European University Institute and Johns Hopkins University
Mastewal Taddese Terefe, Lawyer and Researcher
Rita Kahsay, Executive Director, Irob Anina Civil Society
Panel II: Amhara and Oromia
In 2023, a new conflict in Ethiopia’s Amhara region erupted. Meanwhile, a long-running conflict in the Oromia region has continued to boil. These conflicts have led to widespread insecurity and human rights abuses. Only limited information is coming out of the country amid government crackdowns on journalists and NGOS. What does this mean for advocacy and humanitarian efforts? And where do the latest peace talks stand?
Moderator
Dr. Abel Abate Demissie, Associate Fellow, Chatham House
Speakers
Tsedale Lemma, Founder, Addis Standard Publications
Yirga Gelaw, Senior Lecturer, Curtin University
Abadir Ibrahim, Associate Director, Harvard Law School Human Rights Program