NAIROBI (Somaliguardian) – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has condemned “ethnic cleansing” in Ethiopia’s war-hit Tigray region, calling for “full accountability” and the withdrawal of troops from neighboring Eritrea and other forces.
Blinken testifying before Congress on Wednesday said he wanted security forces in the region “that will not abuse the human rights of the people of Tigray, or commit acts of ethnic cleansing which we’ve seen in western Tigray”.
The US Secretary of State citing “very credible” reports of ongoing atrocities and human rights abuses in the northern Ethiopian region, called for “an independent investigation into what took place there” and “reconciliation process so that the country can move forward politically”.
Antony Blinken’s remarks have come after reports emerged of allied Ethiopian and Eritrean forces committing atrocities against humanity including mass killings and gang rapes in many of the cities in Tigray region, where a war is still raging on.
“We have, as you known, forces from Eritrea over there, and we have forces from adjoining [Ethiopian] region, Amhara, that are there. They need to come out,” Blinken said.
Eritrea earlier denied that its forces were present in the Ethiopian region and dismissed reports suggesting its involvement in the war raging in Tigray as baseless claims.
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