UPDATE - US To Work With International Allies To Secure Ceasefire In Tigray - State Department

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th May, 2021) The United States will work with international partners to secure a ceasefire in Ethiopia's northern region of Tigray, the State Department said in a statement on Friday.

"The United States will work with our international allies and partners to secure a ceasefire, end this brutal conflict, provide the life-saving assistance that is so urgently needed, and hold those responsible for human rights abuses and violations accountable," the statement read.

Washington considers unacceptable the atrocities and the scale of the humanitarian emergency in Tigray, it added.

US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman had completed his first trip to the region, visiting Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan, and Ethiopia, the State Department noted, adding that he plans to return to the region in short order to continue diplomatic efforts.

The US expressed commitment to a sovereign and united Ethiopia, and voiced deep concerns over increasing political and ethnic polarization throughout the country, the statement read.

Armed conflict between the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Ethiopian government started last November after the TPLF attacked and stole weapons from an Ethiopia military base in order to arm an anti-government militia in the region. The conflict has since caused much displacement and food insecurity in the Tigray, while also making it more difficult for international organizations to provide aid to people affected by the crises.