The United States has introduced visa sanctions on Ethiopian and Eritrean government officials who are accused of undermining efforts to resolve the crisis in Tigray, APA can report on Monday.
Visa restrictions will affect any current or former Ethiopian or Eritrean government officials, members of the security forces, or other individuals—to include Amhara regional and irregular forces and members of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF)—responsible for, or complicit in, undermining resolution of the ongoing crisis.
The US also imposed wide-ranging restrictions on economic and security assistance to Ethiopia.
It will continue its existing broad restrictions on assistance to Eritrea, the US Department of state said in a statement on Sunday.
“This includes those who have conducted wrongful violence or other abuses against people in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, as well as those who have hindered access of humanitarian assistance to those in the region. Immediate family members of such persons may also be subject to these restrictions. Should those responsible for undermining a resolution of the crisis in Tigray fail to reverse course, they should anticipate further actions from the United States and the international community” a statement from the US State Department said.
The United States said it was deeply concerned about the ongoing crisis in Ethiopia’s Tigray region as well as other threats to the sovereignty, national unity, and territorial integrity of Ethiopia.
“People in Tigray continue to suffer human rights violations, abuses, and atrocities, and urgently needed humanitarian relief is being blocked by the Ethiopian and Eritrean militaries as well as other armed actors. Despite significant diplomatic engagement, the parties to the conflict in Tigray have taken no meaningful steps to end hostilities or pursue a peaceful resolution of the political crisis” it said.
The United States said it condemned in the strongest terms the killings, forced removals, systemic sexual violence, and other human rights violations and abuses.
MG/as/APA