WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The State Department said on Friday that Washington decided not to suspend the pause in assisting Ethiopia for most security programs, days after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the acts in Tigray like ethnic cleansing.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said that while the United States has decided to resume certain types of assistance, including that related to global health and food security, assistance for other programs and most programs in the health sector. security would remain suspended.
“Given the current environment in Ethiopia, we have decided not to suspend the assistance break for other programs, including most programs in the security sector,” Price said at a news conference.
MAIN US BLINKEN DIPLOMATES REQUIRE CHANGES IN ETHIOPIA TILGRAY
Blinken pressured Ethiopia to end hostilities in Tigray and on Wednesday, testifying before Congress, said he wanted to see Tigray forces from Eritrea and Amhara replaced by security forces “that do not abuse the human rights of the people of Tigray or commit acts of ethnic cleansing, which we saw in western Tigray. “
Thousands of people died, hundreds of thousands were driven from their homes and there is a shortage of food, water and medicine in the region for more than 5 million people.
Blinken, in a liaison with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday, discussed the importance of an international investigation into allegations of human rights abuses in the region, the State Department said on Friday.
He said that in the call, Blinken also called for “greater regional and international efforts to help resolve the humanitarian crisis, end atrocities and restore peace in Ethiopia.”
The UN said last week that Eritrean troops were operating across the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia, and reports suggested they were responsible for atrocities.
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The State Department said last month that Washington would break its pause in some aid to Ethiopia from its policy on the giant Blue Nile hydroelectric dam, which has sparked a long-standing dispute between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan.
But he cautioned that resumption of assistance would be assessed by a number of factors, including “whether each paused program remains appropriate and timely in light of developments in Ethiopia that occurred after the pause was implemented,” according to a State Department representative.