The United States insist on the immediate withdrawal of Eritrean troops from neighbouring Ethiopia’s Tigray region. According to the “credible” reports. their involvement in a civil conflict is a fact, Bloomberg News reported.
The latest developments in the Tigray region made the US State Department urge for withdrawal of Eritrean troops from Ethiopia. Since November 4 when the armed conflict has started, Eritrea hasn’t commented on whether its forces are involved in it. The African nation’s information minister didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
“This is a grave development,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
The U.S. adds credence to accusations by the former rulers of Tigray that Eritrea is supporting the Ethiopian army against them. Last month, the UN diplomats said they’ve observed troops wearing Eritrean uniforms in the region.
PM Abiy has stressed that the conflict in Tigray is an “internal affair” and a “law enforcement operation.” At the onset of the fighting, Ethiopian PM accused the Tigray People’s Liberation Front of manufacturing uniforms resembling those of Eritrea’s army to “implicate the Eritrean government in false claims of aggression against the people of Tigray.”
Abiy’s spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a message requesting comment on Friday.
The U.S. said it’s also aware of reports of human rights violations in the region, and called for an independent investigation of the matter. “All parties must respect human rights and international humanitarian law,” the State Department said.
