US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged an immediate end to the civil war in Ethiopia, at the start of his first major foreign policy tour to Africa, days after President Joe Biden declared the ongoing crisis a priority for his administration.
Blinken’s eight-day trip to Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Morocco is the latest indication of Washington’s focus on stabilizing the rapidly growing conflict to stem the rising death toll and displacement in the East African region.
The Trip to Africa
Prior to his Africa tour, Blinken had roundly condemned the conflict, stressing in a statement last week that the US “stands in solidarity with the people of Ethiopia’s Tigray region.”
“The reports of human rights abuses, looting and destruction that we are seeing are intolerable,” Blinken said at the time, while Biden added: “We’re determined to do everything we can to help the people of Tigray receive the humanitarian assistance they urgently need, and to support a lasting peace and the complete respect of Ethiopia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The aim of the trip is to build on Biden’s message and urge the immediate cessation of hostilities in Ethiopia. The Secretary’s statement is expected to also include US support for free and fair Access to humanitarian aid as well as a call for a political solution to the crisis.
US Mission and Response
In line with the Biden administration’s message that “every nation must choose its own future,” the mission to Africa highlights Washington’s commitment to strengthening its ties with the continent and engagement on behalf of those affected by the fighting in the Tigray region.
“We believe strongly that this is a moment of opportunity in a lot of the countries we’ll be visiting,” Blinken said in the lead-up to his departure. “Working together, the US and African nations can shape the future of the continent and deliver more growth, more jobs and greater security.” Blinken continued his opinion stating that “we can work together to support African-led solutions to end civil wars, deter aggression and build up new sources of prosperity for generations to come”.
Throughout his tour, Blinken will be encouraging constructive dialogue and resolution of “tensions in places like Ethiopia and Sudan without the risk of intervention by outside powers”. In particular, Blinken has called for peace in Ethiopia and “the resolution of differences through dialogue and in accordance with Ethiopia’s constitution, the protection of civilians and respect for the sovereignty of all countries in the region.”
Background of the Conflict
The conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region has been escalating since early November 2020 when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered a military offensive against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and its fighters loyal to former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.
Since then, the situation has deteriorated with the report of numerous violations of the human rights of civilians. During the offensive, many Tigrayans were killed, and more than 1 million were made homeless, according to The United Nations.
The Ethiopian Government declared victory over the rebels of the western Tigray region in late March 2021. However, the fighting still continues in eastern Tigray. The United Nations has called for a ceasefire, as did African and European leaders, but Ethiopian forces failed to comply with the demands and continued to carry out air and ground operations.
Humanitarian Crisis
The conflict in Tigray, the political dispute in Sudan, and the long-running conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo have caused a major humanitarian crisis in the region. Millions of people have been displaced, and the number of hunger and food insecurity have spiked.
The United Nations has called for an increase in humanitarian aid to meet the urgent needs. In response, the US State Department has announced $302 million in one-time humanitarian assistance to Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and other countries in the region.
The bulk of these funds is earmarked for food assistance in Ethiopia, which had 7.7 million people facing extreme food insecurity even before the military conflict began. Additional funds will also go towards helping refugees in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Other US Initiatives
The US has increased its diplomatic pressure to end the civil war in Ethiopia by sending a special envoy to the region.
The President’s Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman, who served from 2012 through 2018 as an Undersecretary-General of the United Nations Security Council, has been appointed as special envoy for the Horn of Africa. Feltman previously served as the United States Ambassador to Lebanon, Lebanon’s special envoy to Sudan, and was an important figure in the negotiations of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Sudan.
The US is also supporting African-led initiatives to bring an end to the conflict.
The US has frowned on foreign interference from countries such as Egypt, Sudan, Uganda, and Eritrea, while encouraging African-led efforts to bring a peaceful resolution to the Ethiopian civil war. The US has welcomed calls for an International Contact Group and has encouraged the African Union to take a greater role in peace talks.
The US has also called on the Ethiopian government to refrain from acts targeting civilians, investigate allegations of human rights abuses, and allow the free flow of humanitarian aid.
Concluding Remarks
While Blinken’s tour of Africa has only just begun, Washington is already showing a clear willingness to establish and maintain diplomatic ties with the continent. As part of the effort, Blinken will be encouraging countries to take advantage of the “unprecedented opportunity for a more secure and prosperous Africa”.
The US is committed to helping the people of Tigray, Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo, and assisting in relief efforts as well as finding long-term peace. Secretary Blinken is expected to hold several meetings over the coming days to express the US’ concern and help broker a solution to the Ethiopian civil war.
Ultimately, Washington hopes that the civil war in Ethiopia can come to an end and that the region will see lasting peace and stability.
