US calls for total withdrawal of Eritrean troops from Tigray as TPLF takes control
WASHINGTON, United States – The United States has called for the urgent withdrawal of Federal and Eritrean troops from the Tigray region, which has been the hotspot of deadly clashes between security forces, leading to the deaths of thousands and the displacement of millions. other.
Antony Blinken, Secretary of State, stressed the need for all parties to commit to an indefinite ceasefire, adding that this would give full access to humanitarian teams trying to reach vulnerable populations.
The conflict in Tigray has killed thousands, displaced more than 2 million and pushed hundreds of thousands to the brink of famine, with international pressure on both sides to end hostilities.
Last week, the Ethiopian government declared a unilateral ceasefire, leading to the withdrawal of federal troops from Tigray, but Eritrean troops still remain in parts of the region. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Tigray [TPLF] dismissed the truce as a joke and said it kicked the government out of the city.
“This unilateral announcement must be followed by concrete changes on the ground to end the conflict, stop the atrocities and, most importantly, allow safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told journalists during a regular press briefing.
Blinken also called on Abiy to commit to taking the measures outlined by the UN Security Council last week, including the withdrawal of Eritrean and Amhara forces from Tigray and the establishment of a process to hold the responsible for human rights abuses and responsible atrocities, Price said in a statement.
Abiy’s government has been fighting the TPLF since early November when it accused the then ruling Tigray party of attacking military bases in the region. The TPLF denied the charges.
The commander of rebel forces in Tigray on Tuesday called for a negotiated ceasefire with the Ethiopian government and a political solution to the conflict in the northern region, saying the government could not win the war.
Tsadkan Gebretensae, speaking a week after government forces withdrew from the Tigrayan capital Mekelle, told Reuters: “After Abiy’s forces are defeated, we say ‘let’s have a negotiated ceasefire’.”
“We hold back for a realistic political solution to the whole problem. I would like the international community to understand this situation.”
“But if there is no other choice, then the next choice will be: try to solve it militarily,” he said by satellite phone from an undisclosed location.
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