US extends sanctions against officials involved in Ethiopia's Tigray conflict

An unidentified armed militia fighter walks down a path as villagers flee with their belongings in the other direction, near the village of Chenna Teklehaymanot, in the Amhara region of northern Ethiopia on Sept. 9, 2021. | AP Photo

WASHINGTON - The United States has extended sanctions against top Ethiopian officials directly involved in the Tigray massacre, arguing that the ongoing conflict threatens the interests of Washington besides making national security a major threat.

The sanctions, not applied for the first time though, will extend for another year and could have been triggered by renewed fighting in the country, which has left dozens of people dead. The Ethiopian troops with the assistance of those from Tigray are said to have elicited the fresh hostilities.

“The situation in and regarding northern Ethiopia continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States,” Joe Biden said in a presidential statement issued on Friday.

Moreover, Biden’s statement underscored that the current situation in north Ethiopia is still characterized by “activities that threaten the peace, security and stability” of the country and the Horn of Africa region, highlighting “widespread violence, atrocities, and serious human rights abuses”.

“For this reason, the national emergency declared on September 17, 2021, must continue in effect beyond September 17, 2022,” it added.

Last year, the government of Joe Biden signed an executive which gives the US a permit to slap sanctions against those linked with the ongoing war in the northern Tigray region. Also targeted are those said to be blocking the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the region.

The Executive Order among others authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to deny visas, and freeze the assets and interests in property of individuals and entities who “threaten the peace, security, or stability of Ethiopia, or that have the purpose or effect of expanding or extending the crisis in northern Ethiopia or obstructing a ceasefire or a peace process.”

According to the statement, the latest sanctions are deemed “a political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality of the Government of Ethiopia, the Government of Eritrea or its ruling People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, the Amhara Regional Government, or the Amhara regional or irregular forces.”

Tigray People's Liberation Front [TPLF] has persistently accused Eritrean troops of being involved in the latest hostility, arguing that they entered the country to assist the national army. However, TPLF argued that it will continue to fight until the government withdraws.

Already, the TPLF has stormed the Amhara region, just after it was established that the regional militia was fighting along with the Ethiopian army.

The conflict has lasted for the last two years and there is a possibility that it will for more months after the two sides are delayed to accept reconciliation offers.

GAROWE ONLINE