US Concerned Over Reports Of Ethiopian Forces Harassing Tigray Residents - State Dept.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th August, 2021) The United States is concerned about reports that residents of Ethiopia's Tigray region have been being harassed by the national security forces and urges all parties to establish a comprehensive ceasefire and increased humanitarian access, US State Department spokesperson Ned price said on Thursday.

"We are concerned by reports of Ethiopian security force harassment and arbitrary detention of ethnic Tigrayans in regions of Ethiopia beyond Tigray. Security force harassment and detention on the basis of ethnicity is unacceptable," Price said during a press briefing. "Any effort to change Ethiopia's internal boundaries by force is unacceptable."

The United States also calls on the government of Ethiopia to reach an agreement that allows the ceasefire to include all parties and facilitate humanitarian access as well as on the government of Eritrea to withdraw its forces from Tigray, consistent with commitments by both countries, Price said.

Fighting in the province of Tigray broke out in November after the Ethiopian government accused the local ruling party - Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) - of attacking a regional military base to hijack weapons and arm the anti-government militia. In late 2020, TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael said that Eritrea, which was technically at war with Ethiopia until 2018, had sent troops across the border in support of Ethiopian government forces.