US, allies call for halt to hostilities in northern Ethiopia

The United States and several of its allies on Wednesday called for a halt to escalating hostilities between the government of Ethiopia and its northern region of Tigray.

“We call on the parties to recognize there is no military solution to the conflict, and we call on the Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray regional authorities to participate in African Union-led talks aimed at helping Ethiopia achieve a lasting peace,” the group said in a joint statement.

The Ethiopian civil war saw a lull in fighting after the government of Ethiopia declared a humanitarian truce in March, which was reciprocated by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. Full-scale fighting resumed between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray region in August.

The U.S., alongside Australia, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, called on the two sides to cease hostilities, allow “unhindered and sustained” humanitarian access and participate in peace talks through the African Union.

The group on Wednesday also condemned the participation of Eritrea in the civil war and called for its withdrawal from the region. Eritrea has been fighting alongside the Ethiopian government in the civil war.

The Ethiopian government has blocked humanitarian aid from reaching Tigray for much of the nearly two-year war. During the five-month truce, the government eased restrictions. However, the United Nations has said that it remains difficult to provide aid.

A September report from the International Commission of Human Rights Experts (ICHREE) on Ethiopia found “reasonable grounds” to suggest the Ethiopian government and its allies have sought to “systematically deprive the population of Tigray of material and services indispensable for its survival, including healthcare, shelter, water, sanitation, education and food.”

ICHREE’s report also found reasonable grounds to suggest that there have been human rights violations in Ethiopia since the start of the war, which in some cases “amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

“The resumption of fighting in northern Ethiopia raises a high risk of further human rights violations and abuses,” the U.S. and its allies said on Wednesday, adding, “We denounce any and all violence against civilians.”