The head of US diplomacy “welcomed this development, underscoring that it was vital to ensure a lasting peace in northern Ethiopia,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken welcomed the withdrawal of Eritrean troops from northern Ethiopia in a phone call with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Saturday.
The head of US diplomacy “welcomed this development, underscoring that it was vital to ensure a lasting peace in northern Ethiopia,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
He called the peace deal between Addis Ababa and Tigray province rebels, which was signed in November in South Africa, “significant progress”. The deal aims to end nearly two years of deadly hostilities, calling for the withdrawal of foreign troops and forces from outside Tigray, alongside the disarmament of the rebels.
So far the Eritrean government has not publicly taken a position on withdrawing its troops from northern Ethiopia.
Anthony Blinken reaffirmed the support of the US government, which participated in the talks in Pretoria, to the peace process. However, he expressed concern about the developments in Oromia, another region of Ethiopia where conflicts are escalating.
The fratricidal war in Tigray province has displaced more than two million Ethiopians and forced hundreds of thousands into starvation amid the region’s worst drought in decades.
The Horn of Africa, and Ethiopia in particular, are among the EU’s priority partners as China advances its interests in the region, as demonstrated by Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang’s recent visit to Addis Ababa.
RES-EMP
Read the News today and get the latest news.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news.
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
