The United States on Sunday announced visa restrictions for Ethiopian and Eritrean officials accused of promoting a six-month war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, saying those involved “had not taken any meaningful measures to stop hostilities.”
“People in Tigray continue to be affected by human rights abuses, abuses and atrocities, and urgent humanitarian aid is being blocked by the Ethiopian and Eritrean military,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement. “Despite significant diplomatic commitment, the parties to the Tigray conflict have not taken any meaningful action to stop the hostilities or pursue a peaceful solution to the political crisis.”
Blinken also announced “extensive” restrictions on financial and security assistance to Ethiopia, adding that the United States would continue humanitarian aid in areas such as health, food and education. He said the visa restrictions are aimed at “current or former Ethiopian or Eritrean government officials, members of the security forces or other individuals – including Amhara regional and irregular forces and members of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).”
The Tigray conflict erupted in early November when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops to detain and disarm leaders of the regional governing party, TPLF. Abiy, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2019, said the move came in response to TPLF attacks on federal army camps.
Although he promised that the conflict would be brief, the fighting continues more than six months later and world leaders warn of a potential humanitarian catastrophe. Eritrean troops, cooperating with the Ethiopian military, have been involved in several massacres and other atrocities during the Tigray conflict, Asmara claims.
“The United States strongly condemns the assassination, forced relocation, systemic sexual violence, and other human rights abuses,” Blinken said. “We are equally appalled at the destruction of civilian property including water sources, hospitals and medical facilities taking place in Tigray.”
On Friday, Ethiopia for the first time accused troops from the neighborhood of Eritrea of killing 110 civilians in a massacre in November in the war-torn region. In previous reports on what happened in Axum, both Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International blamed Eritrean troops fighting in Tigray and said the dead were mostly civilians. The Ethiopian government has said it is committed to investigating human rights abuses committed during its fight against troops loyal to the TPLF.
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