Eritrea blames the US for ‘destabilization’ in Ethiopia’s Tigray

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 07:58 am

Eritrea has blamed the US government for the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.

In a letter to the UN Security Council circulated on Monday, Osman Saleh accused President Joe Biden’s administration of “stoking further conflict and destabilization” through interference and intimidation in the region, apparently to “resuscitate the remnants of the TPLF regime”.  

The US has been calling for the withdrawal of Eritrean troops from Tigray region after they were accused of human rights abuses. Mr Osman’s letter did not comment on the presence of Eritrean troops in Tigray.

READMORE: Is Jihadists Choosing Sahel Of Africa As Their Regrouping Point?

The Ethiopian government had previously denied the presence of Eritrean troops in Tigray but later admitted to it with a promise that they would withdraw. The government made the same announcement last week. 

On Friday, the UN warned that famine was imminent in Tigray and Ethiopia’s north, saying there was a risk that hundreds of thousands of people would die. Mark Lowcock, the UN humanitarian chief, said in a statement that the economy has been destroyed along with businesses, crops and farms and there are no banking or telecommunications services.