Antony Blinken discusses Ethiopia with UAE foreign minister Zayed Al Nahyan
The United States has been calling for negotiations to bring an end to the crisis in Ethiopia between the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
United States Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken on Tuesday spoke with Emirati Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and both leaders discussed a wide range of topics, including the crisis in Ethiopia.
Secretary Blinken and Sheikh Abdullah discussed Russia’s military buildup near Ukraine’s borders as well as other bilateral and regional issues, including developments in Yemen, Ethiopia, and Sudan,” said State Department spokesperson Ned Price.
Price added that Secretary Blinken congratulated the UAE for assuming a seat on the UN Security Council earlier this month.
The United States has been calling for negotiations to bring an end to the crisis in Ethiopia between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
However, more than a year into the beginning of the war in northern Ethiopia in November 2020, both sides are farther apart and no negotiations seem to be taking place.
The TPLF has retreated to Tigray after its forces began advancing towards Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, but there is still no humanitarian access to reach the people in need.
The U.S. has been calling on its citizens to leave the country, warning that things could deteriorate anytime. But in recent weeks, nothing has been achieved on the diplomatic level.
Simon Ateba is Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa. Simon covers President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, the U.S. government, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other financial and international institutions in Washington D.C. and New York City.