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Ethiopia Must Pursue Peaceful Coexistence


People are seen in front of clouds of black smoke from fires in the aftermath at the scene of an airstrike in Mekele, the capital of the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia on Oct. 20, 2021
People are seen in front of clouds of black smoke from fires in the aftermath at the scene of an airstrike in Mekele, the capital of the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia on Oct. 20, 2021

U.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman warned that the military conflict in Ethiopia, “will have disastrous consequences for Ethiopia’s unity, territorial integrity and stability, and also for Ethiopia’s relations with the United States and the international community."

Ethiopia Must Pursue Peaceful Coexistence
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In a speech to the U.S. Institute of Peace, U.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman warned that the military conflict in Ethiopia, “will have disastrous consequences for Ethiopia’s unity, territorial integrity and stability, and also for Ethiopia’s relations with the United States and the international community” if it continues.

The United States believes that the parties to the conflict have committed rampant human rights abuses and atrocities, said Ambassador Feltman:

“There have been credible, documented, persistent reports by a wide range of sources about these abuses and atrocities. Looting, displacement, executions, reports of rape and sexual violence as a tool of war with the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF), the Eritrean Defense Forces, the Amhara Special Forces and the TPLF all implicated to some degree.”

Since July, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, or TPLF, has widened the conflict into neighboring states. The United States continues to call on the TPLF to withdraw from Afar and Amhara.

At the same time, the Ethiopian government began cutting off humanitarian relief and commercial access to Tigray bringing the region to the brink of famine, said Ambassador Feltman:

“To meet the basic needs of Tigray's population of seven million, the UN has been clear at least 2,000 trucks of supplies are needed per month. Since the beginning of July, only 1,100 trucks in total have entered Tigray.”

No government, said Ambassador Feltman, should be taking actions and promoting practices that result in mass starvation of its own citizens. The United States continues to prioritize the delivery of life-saving assistance to all Ethiopians and urges all parties to the conflict to allow full humanitarian access to those in need -including access to fuel, cash and supplies. The United States is also prepared to pursue further sanctions under the executive order President Biden signed in September against those fueling this crisis and obstructing humanitarian operations. The first tranche of sanctions under the executive order were announced November 12 against six Eritrean individuals and entities. “And we will be targeting all parties implicated,” warned Ambassador Feltman.

The United States wants to see stability and prosperity restored to the entire country and for Ethiopia to regain its position as a regional and global leader. Such an outcome requires Ethiopia's leaders to put down their guns and find a formula for peaceful coexistence.

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