US urges Ethiopia, Eritrea to show restraint

The US urged Ethiopia and Eritrea to exercise maximum restraint amid rising cross-border tensions, warning another conflict could trigger a humanitarian crisis. Washington called for respect for sovereignty, dialogue and cooperation under the 2018 peace framework to prevent regional escalation

Washington: The United States on Saturday urged Ethiopia and Eritrea to exercise “maximum restraint” amid increasing cross-border tensions, warning that another conflict could trigger a new humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa.

The State Department said the rising tensions between the two neighbouring countries had implications beyond their borders and could affect the wider region. “Increasing cross-border tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea have the potential to affect the entire region,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.

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“The Horn of Africa cannot sustain another military conflict and humanitarian crisis. A conflict jeopardizes ongoing US collaboration on shared interests with both countries,” he said.

Washington called on Ethiopia and Eritrea to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of neighbouring countries and avoid actions that could further escalate tensions. “We strongly urge Ethiopia and Eritrea to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of their neighbors, exercise maximum restraint and return to dialogue and cooperation as agreed in their 2018 peace framework,” Pigott said.

“Peace through dialogue is the only path toward sustainable security, economic growth, and prosperity,” he added.

The statement represents a fresh public intervention by Washington as security conditions in northern Ethiopia deteriorate and concerns grow about the possibility of the conflict expanding across national borders.

The State Department did not announce new sanctions or other punitive measures against either Ethiopia or Eritrea in Saturday’s statement. I

nstead, it focused on de-escalation and a return to the framework under which the two countries ended their long period of hostility. The US appeal comes amid renewed fighting in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region and a sharp deterioration in relations between Addis Ababa and Asmara.

The State Department already advises Americans not to travel to Ethiopia’s Tigray region or to the border with Eritrea because of armed conflict, unrest and crime. It also warns that conditions along the border can change without notice. Relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have gone through dramatic shifts over the past three decades.

Eritrea became independent from Ethiopia in 1993 following a prolonged struggle. The two countries later fought a border war between 1998 and 2000 that killed tens of thousands of people and left relations frozen for years.

A major diplomatic breakthrough came in 2018, when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki restored relations and formally ended the state of war between their countries. The 2018 peace framework is the agreement Washington specifically invoked Saturday in urging the two governments to return to dialogue.