Biden dispatches US senator to Ethiopia over humanitarian crisis

Senator Coons to meet Ethiopia’s prime minister over allegations of ethnic cleansing in the Tigray region.

United States President Joe Biden is sending Senator Chris Coons to Ethiopia to meet Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and convey the president’s “grave concerns” over the humanitarian crisis in the Tigray region, where thousands have died since the fighting began. Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said in a statement on Thursday that Coons – a longtime Biden ally – would also consult with the African Union. Secretary of State Antony Blinken this month described acts carried out in the region as ethnic cleansing, an allegation rejected by Ethiopia.