There is still no evidence that Eritrean troops are withdrawing from Tigray, the US State Department said on Wednesday, confirming UN information.
By the end of March, the Ethiopian Prime Minister had for the first time acknowledged the presence of Asmara’s soldiers in Tigray. He had announced that they would withdraw, but several sources confirm that they are still present.
For the Americans, the Eritrean troops are always there. Washington has once again demanded their complete withdrawal. A departure from Tigray “important for restoring peace and humanitarian access,” said State Department spokesman Ned Price.
This statement confirms last week’s remarks by Mark Lowcock to the UN Security Council. The UN humanitarian official had estimated that there was no evidence of Eritrean departure. According to him, the soldiers sent by Asmara would now wear Ethiopian army uniforms.
At the same time, Eritrean soldiers are said to continue committing massacres. The latter was reported by Amnesty International. On April 12, they were fired at the crowd in Adwa, in southern Tigray, for no reason, killing about ten people.
Six days ago Asmara had for the first time acknowledged the presence of its soldiers in the provincerecalling that the Eritreans had agreed to withdraw and allow the Ethiopian army to relocate along the border. However, Eritrea accused the UN of producing “false reports” and even summoned its representatives to officially protest.
The situation on the ground is catastrophic and is said to be getting worse. Almost 4.5 million people need humanitarian assistance from a population of 6 million.
