US Concerned by Reports of Renewed Hostilities in Ethiopia – State Department

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The United States is concerned by reports of renewed fighting in Ethiopia, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a paramilitary group designated terrorist by the Ethiopian government, accused Addis Ababa of attacking their positions in the Amhara region.

"We are concerned by reports of renewed hostilities in Ethiopia, and we call on the government of Ethiopia, and the TPLF to redouble efforts to advance talks to achieve a durable ceasefire," Patel told a briefing.

The department reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to Ethiopia’s unity and territorial integrity.

Ethiopia has been engulfed in a violent internal conflict since November 2020, when the central government accused the TPLF of attacking its military base and launched an anti-terrorist operation in the region.

In June 2021, the rebels of the TPLF seized the city of Mekelle, the administrative regional center, and the government declared an unconditional ceasefire. However, the rebels launched a new offensive soon after and took control of the southern part of Tigray and the neighboring Amhara region.

The ongoing conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced millions of people, and caused a dire humanitarian crisis in the country.