Simon Ateba is Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa covering President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. government, UN, IMF, World Bank and other financial and international institutions in Washington and New York.
Germany on Friday called for a “safe, unhindered and permanent humanitarian access” into Ethiopia’s Tigray, warning that “there is the danger of a renewed increase in severe violence between different population groups.”
“The latest reports out of Ethiopia are worrying: in Tigray, we are witnessing a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation; there have been clashes again, and there is the danger of a renewed increase in severe violence between different population groups. These developments must be stopped while that is still possible,” read a statement by a Federal Foreign Office Spokesperson. “We call on everyone involved to agree and adhere to an immediate ceasefire. It is completely clear that all foreign troops must immediately and fully withdraw from the region, and that we need a transparent investigation into the human rights violations. Any redrawing of borders through armed force or by other unconstitutional means is unacceptable.”
Germany said “safe, unhindered and permanent humanitarian access to Tigray must now be the top priority. Those who have fled because of the conflict must be able to return safely to their homes.”
The latest call by Germany comes only a day after Chancellor Angela Merkel met with President Joseph R. Biden Jr. at the White House in Washington D.C.
The Biden administration has been vocal in calling for a quick resolution to the conflict in Tigray.
An armed conflict in the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia since November 2020 has continued to pose a major threat to the civilian population and has resulted in substantial flows of migrants towards the Sudan.
A large number of eyewitnesses and international organizations have reported severe human rights abuses. According to the United Nations (OCHA), the situation in Tigray has deteriorated dramatically in recent weeks. Specifically, some 400,000 people have crossed the threshold into famine.
Germany recently made available an additional 15 million euro for humanitarian assistance in Ethiopia. The funds are being disbursed to, among others, the World Food Program.