Ethiopia and Eritrea Respond to U.S. Allegations

Ethiopia and Eritrea have rejected the assertion by the U.S. Department of State that their armies committed war crimes in the recent conflict that ended in the northern Tigray region. The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry responded to the U.S. Secretary of State after his statement that members of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces and their allies from the Eritrean army, Amhara regional forces, and opposition groups affiliated with the Tigray People's Liberation Front committed war crimes during the two-year conflict, saying that these allegations are "provocative" and the timing is "inappropriate." The Eritrean Foreign Ministry stated that the accusations are "unfounded and defamatory." The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry added in a statement that blaming in this manner is unjustifiable and undermines U.S. support for a comprehensive peace process in Ethiopia, arguing that the U.S. stance was "selective" as it absolved Tigray forces of accusations of rape and sexual violence. Nonetheless, the statement expressed Ethiopia's hope of restoring its "strategic relationship" with the U.S., reaffirming the desire both sides expressed during Antony Blinken's visit to mend the strained relations due to the war.