The US State Department announced targeted visa restrictions on Wednesday against individuals behind the crisis in Ethiopia.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Thomas “Tommy” Pigott, a spokesperson for the State Department, said: “Today, pursuant to his authority under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, Secretary Rubio is taking steps to impose visa restrictions on hardline members of the TPLF and their immediate family members.”
He added: “This visa restriction policy targets individuals who are responsible for, or complicit in, undermining a resolution to the crisis in the Tigray region.”
Explaining the move, the State Department said that “rising tensions between Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) hardliners and the Ethiopian government have threatened to reignite the conflict in northern Ethiopia and undermine peace and security across the entire region.”
It went on: “Earlier this year, members of the Tigray Security Forces (TSF) clashed with Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) – their first direct engagement since the end of the 2020–2022 conflict, which claimed 600,000 lives and brought the region to the brink of famine.”
According to the State Department, hundreds of thousands of civilians across northern Ethiopia have already fled their homes, fearing a return to war.
The department stated that the United States would continue to stand with the Ethiopian people – including those in Tigray – who wish to live in peace and dignity.
It added: “We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to expose and promote accountability for TPLF officials and other individuals who threaten that peace and stability in the region.”