WASHINGTON: The United States on Friday paved the way for further sanctions to be imposed on the parties in the conflict in northern Ethiopia, where thousands have been killed and millions of people need humanitarian assistance.
The new executive order allows Washington to take punishment on those in the Ethiopian and Eritray government, the People’s Liberation Front Tigray (TPLF) and the Amhara Regional Government if they continue to pursue military conflicts for negotiations, senior US government officials said.
The move, which increased the pressure on the parties to come to the negotiating table and ended the battle, came after Washington repeatedly asked the final negotiated for conflict and to access assistance to the northern region of Tigray, where the conflict began.
“Unless the parties take concrete steps to resolve the crisis, the administration is prepared to take aggressive acts under this new executive order to impose sanctions targeted at various individuals or entities,” a senior administrative official warned.
Billene Seyoyou, Spokesperson for the Ethiopian Prime Minister, did not immediately reply to a comment request.
Erytrean Information Minister and TPLF spokesman cannot be reached to comment.
The war broke 10 months ago between Ethiopian federal forces and loyal forces to TPLF, who controlled Tigray.
Since then, thousands have been killed and more than 2 million have left their homes.
The battle spread in July from Tigray to the neighboring area of ​​Amhara and Afar, also in the north of the country.
Fighting in both areas has moved hundreds of thousands of people and made around 1.7 million depending on food assistance.
“The United States is determined to encourage peaceful resolutions from this conflict,” President Joe Biden said in a statement, calling for the parties on the conflict to stop their military campaign and come to the negotiating table, respect human rights and allow human access.
Crisismore Humanity of 5 million more people in Tigray need humanitarian assistance but less than 10% of the required supply has reached the area for the past month due to assistance obstruction, government officials, describing the situation as one of the “worst humanity and human rights crisis In the world.
“The US Ministry of Finance also issued a general license to provide exceptions to development, humanity and other assistance, as well as for critical commercial activities in Ethiopia and Eritrea, to ensure new sanctions do not endanger those who suffer from conflict, added officials.
But Biden’s administration refrained from imposing sanctions along with executive orders in the hope of providing incentives to stay away from the military approach, said senior senior government officials.
The first official added that the administration expects a significant discussion about Ethiopia next week during the annual high level of the UN General Assembly.
“It’s time because we have been involved for months about this and the situation only deteriorates,” the official said.
“Now we believe it is necessary to raise costs to those who continue to demand war”, he added.