Top US diplomat decries ‘ethnic cleansing’ in Ethiopia’s Tigray

Secretary of State Antony Blinken calls for an international investigation into ‘ongoing’ atrocities, as well as the exit of Eritrean troops.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has condemned acts of “ethnic cleansing” in Ethiopia’s embattled Tigray region, as he called for “full accountability” and the departure of troops from neighbouring Eritrea and other fighters. Testifying before Congress on Wednesday, Blinken said he wanted security forces in the region “that will not abuse the human rights of the people of Tigray, or commit acts of ethnic cleansing which we’ve seen in western Tigray”. Citing “very credible” reports of ongoing human rights abuses and atrocities, he called for “an independent investigation into what took place there” and “a reconciliation process so that the country can move forward politically”.