The United States has condemned a renewed conflict in northern Ethiopia, accusing the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) of launching another round of attack against federal security forces.
U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Ervin J. Massinga, in a statement issued on Wednesday, urged the “TPLF to stop fighting,” describing the war “unwinnable.” I am disappointed to see the leadership of the TPLF to make the poor decision to launch a large-scale offensive. Rejecting dialogue sponsored by the AU under President Obasanjo and engaging in an unwinnable.
He said other armed groups need to be wise to avoid this. “While the U.S. has tools to sanction additional leaders who try to push Ethiopia down the wrong path, I still believe a reasonable political dialogue is the right way to go” Massinga has visited Mekelle several times this year to meet with TPLF leadership in an effort to avert the outbreak of another conflict.
In June, the United States imposed visa restrictions and asset freezes on key TPLF leaders and their family members. TPLF announced federal police forces posted at the Alula Aba Nega International Airport in Mekelle and abducted them. It also launched an offensive along the Afar-Tigray boundary and the Amhara-Tigray boundary. Tigrayan authorities said their forces had entered a “defensive war” against what they described as an attack by federal forces, while government officials accused the TPLF of launching an offensive against federal positions.
MG/abj/APA