Announcing the move, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said no ‘necessary steps’ had been taken to end the conflict.
The United States has announced a visa ban for Ethiopian and Eritrean officials accused of extending a six-month war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, saying those involved “did nothing to help end the war”.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that it was also imposing Ethiopian economic and security restrictions on humanitarian aid in areas such as health, food and education.
“The Tigray people continue to be persecuted for human rights abuses, brutality, and atrocities, and the necessary basic aid is being blocked by the Ethiopian and Eritrean military and other armed forces,” Blinken said.
“While there is a lot of dialogue, all those involved in the Tigray war have done nothing to end violence or to resolve peacefully in political crisis.”
Thousands of people have been killed and thousands more forced to flee their homes in the Tigray region since November when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops to arrest and disrupt the ruling TPLF party.
Blinken said the ban “applies to former or former Ethiopian or Eritrean government officials, security forces, or other individuals – including Amhara regional militant and unstable militias and members of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) – in charge. or compound, to disrupt the resolution of the Tigray problem. ”
Thousands of people have been killed and thousands more forced to flee their homes in the Tigray region since November when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops to arrest and disrupt the ruling TPLF leaders in a military coup.
Ethiopian troops and soldiers from neighboring Eritrea have been charged with genocide and murder in the guerrilla warfare.
“The United States strongly condemns the killings, forced evictions, domestic violence, and other human rights abuses,” Blinken said.
“We are also equally shocked by the destruction of civilian property including water, hospitals, and hospitals, which is taking place in Tigray.”
Blinken warned that if those trying to tackle the Tigray crisis fail to change course, they should expect action from the US and other countries.
The US called on the Ethiopian government to fulfill its commitment to address all human rights abuses and abuses, to protect civilians and to ensure that people do not have access to them, Blinken said. He also called on “the Eritrean government to fulfill its commitment and reintroduce its military to Eritrean legitimate territories.”
The Ethiopian government has been pressured by foreign powers to show its response as reports of atrocities in Tigray. The European Union (EU) has suspended budget payments in connection with reports of rapes, killings, and looting in the northern region.
Ethiopia has said it is interested in investigating human rights abuses and Ethiopia and Eritrea have pledged to withdraw Eritrea’s military.
The United Nations has suggested that the war crimes may have been committed by all involved in the conflict.
