WASHINGTON: United States President Joe Biden voiced hope Friday that Ethiopians could negotiate a ceasefire to end the stake of the pask when Washington condemned the massacre of 125 villagers reported.
In a statement for the new Ethiopian year on Saturday, Biden said the United States was “very concerned” by violence and committed to helping both through diplomatic efforts and humanitarian assistance.
“We believe Ethiopia, a great and diverse country, can overcome the current division and resolve the ongoing conflict, starting with a negotiable ceasefire,” said Biden in a statement.
“The peace building will not be easy, but it can and must start now with dialogue and by finding unity in our same humanity,” he said.
In the latest mass murder, local doctors and officials told AFP that at least 125 villagers were slaughtered earlier this month in the Amhara region.
“We condemn all violations of civilians in their possessed things and ask all parties with the conflict to respect human rights and comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law,” Foreign Department spokesman said about the attack.
Tigray People’s Facebation Front (TPLF) denied the allegations that his fighters had to be blamed for the latest attack.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not blame but appointed violations by TPLF and national forces from Ethiopia and Eritrea and neighboring troops from the Amhara region.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, a Nobel Winner who has enjoyed close relations with Washington, launched a military attack in November against TPLF, then the ruling party in the region, in response to his attack on army camps.
The ongoing violence has triggered a humanitarian crisis with aid workers who struggle to enter and warn the United Nations that 400,000 people face hunger.