The United States is deeply concerned by reports of escalating violence, loss of life, indiscriminate targeting of civilians, and destruction in the fighting in northern Ethiopia, particularly near Shire in the Tigray region. We call on the Ethiopian National Defense Force and the Eritrean Defense Force to immediately stop their joint military offensive and for Eritrea to withdraw its forces from northern Ethiopia. We also call on the Tigrayan Defense Forces to stop the provocative actions. Fighting since the August 24 operation by the Tigrayan Defense Forces near Kobo in the Amhara Region has contributed to the return of hostilities, which greatly increases the risk of atrocities and further human rights abuses.
It is the responsibility of all armed actors to respect and protect civilians, and we ask them to allow unhindered access of aid to all Ethiopians in need.
We reiterate that the government of Ethiopia and the leaders of the Tigray region should immediately stop all hostilities and participate seriously in the upcoming peace talks led by the African Union. The United States is fully engaged with the African Union, the governments of Kenya and South Africa, and other international and regional partners to organize and mediate peace talks as soon as possible.
