US 'gravely concerned' about reported detentions, killings in Ethiopia's Tigray

WASHINGTON

The US on Friday voiced grave concern about reported detentions and killings in Ethiopia's Tigray region.

"The United States is gravely concerned by unconfirmed new reports alleging mass detentions, killings, and forced expulsions of ethnic Tigrayans in western Tigray by Amhara security forces," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

According to UN reports, 1.2 million people have been forcibly displaced from western Tigray since the beginning of the conflict in November 2020.

Price called on Amhara leaders to renounce violence against civilians and reiterated the US call on Eritrea to remove its forces from Ethiopia.

"We urge the Ethiopian authorities to investigate these reports to determine their veracity and to commit to inclusive, transparent processes to hold responsible those accountable," he said.

Earlier in the day, the UN Human Rights Council voted on a resolution to establish an international commission of experts to conduct an investigation into allegations of human rights violations and abuses by all parties to the conflict in Ethiopia.

Price also called for an end to violence against civilians.

"We also reiterate our call for a cessation of hostilities, an immediate end to human rights abuses and violations, negotiations without preconditions, unhindered humanitarian access, and the start to an inclusive national dialogue," he added.

The war broke out last year between the government and forces of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which has left thousands of people dead and many displaced.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered a military offensive against the Tigray forces in November last year, after accusing the group of attacking a military base.