US signs executive order allowing new sanctions against Ethiopia over reported Tigray atrocities

CAIRO – 17 September 2021: The US administration, under President Joe Biden, signed an executive order on Friday that allows further sanctions against parties involved in Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict.

This comes amid reports of atrocities committed by the Ethiopian forces in Tigray and that continue to emerge from the afflicted region.

Thousands have been killed and millions have been left in need for humanitarian assistance since the conflict has started 10 months ago between Ethiopia's federal troops and forces loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which controls Tigray.

The new executive order, therefore, allows the US administration to take punitive action against the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments as well as the TPLF and the Amhara regional government.

This comes in case they continue to pursue military conflict over negotiations, Reuters cited senior US administration officials as saying.

The US has earlier called for a negotiated end to the Tigray conflict in many occasions and for aid access to Tigray.

"Unless the parties take concrete steps to resolve the crisis, the administration is prepared to take aggressive actions under this new executive order to impose targeted sanctions against a wide range of individuals or entities," a senior administration official warned, according to Reuters.

Since the conflict has started in the northern region, over two million have fled their homes as fighting has sprawled to neighboring regions of Amhara and Afar.

Due to the fighting in those two regions, hundreds of thousands have been displaced and around 1.7 million people have been left in need for food aid.

In a statement, Biden said the US is “determined to push for a peaceful resolution of this conflict,” urging the involved parties to halt their military campaigns and come to the negotiating table.

He also urged them to respect human rights and allow humanitarian access.