The Ethiopian government made the decision to withdraw and declare a ceasefire in Tigray in a process that took at least a month, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has said.

He said they had meetings with the elite, investors, the public as well as military leaders, some of whom raised concerns about the need to continue with the conflict.

He said the government has now addressed the threat posed by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) administration by seizing back weapons that they had taken from the northern command.

"When we look at the results, the junta has been brought before the law, the weapons they had taken they are now in our hands, the defence forces have been reorganised," he told representatives in parliament in the capital Addis Ababa on Monday.

He said before the reorganisation, part of the force would be working against the government, noting that their attempts to create division among the people had now been addressed.

He said the ceasefire declaration was a moment "for everyone to think" and learn from what was happening in Tigray.

Mr Abiy said Ethiopia’s new focus was now on resettling the people who had been displaced by the conflict, finishing development projects and addressing the Covid-19 pandemic among others.

Rebels forces in Tigray last week retook its capital, Mekelle, sparking street celebrations and forcing officials to flee. The government announced a unilateral ceasefire the same day after the recapture.