The United States is partnering with the United Arab Emirates to find lasting solutions to the crisis in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, just days after a ceasefire was declared on Monday, the Biden administration announced on Wednesday evening.
In a statement received by Today News Africa in Washington D.C., the administration announced that the U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke by phone on Wednesday with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed to express “appreciation for the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) work to promote a ceasefire and political solution to the conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.”
“Mr. Sullivan and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed discussed the urgency to provide life-saving assistance to populations in Tigray suffering from famine and acute food insecurity,” the administration said.
More broadly, Mr. Sullivan also welcomed Israeli Foreign Minister Lapid’s historic visit to the UAE to open the new Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi and consulate in Dubai.
On Tuesday, the Biden administration described the ceasefire as a “positive step” that should be followed by more verifiable concrete actions, including the withdrawal of Eritrean forces from Ethiopia.
The Biden administration also urged Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali to restore telecommunication services in the region and to embrace dialogue with the “Tigrayan authorities.”
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.
