Blinken calls for negotiations amid Ethiopia military escalation
US Secretary of State expresses concern over escalating fighting between gov’t forces and Tigrayan fighters.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is greatly concerned about Ethiopia’s military escalation and called for urgent negotiations over the crisis, a US State Department spokesperson said.
The comments late on Friday came hours after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appeared on the front line with the national army.
“Secretary Blinken expressed grave concern about worrying signs of military escalation in Ethiopia and emphasized the need to urgently move to negotiations,” Ned Price said in a statement.
Price released the statement after a phone call between Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta and Blinken.
On Friday, Ethiopia’s state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting reported that Abiy was on the front-line with the army fighting rebel Tigrayan forces in the northeastern Afar region.
Abiy posted the same video on his Twitter account.
“We won’t give in until we bury the enemy,” he said in a recorded statement, adding that the army’s morale was high.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES