US imposes Ethiopia, Eritrea restrictions over Tigray crisis

Announcing move, Secretary of State Antony Blinken says no ‘meaningful steps’ have been taken to end hostilities.

The United States has announced visa restrictions on Ethiopian and Eritrean officials accused of increasing the six-month-old war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, saying those involved had “taken no meaningful steps to end hostilities”. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday it was also imposing curbs on economic and security assistance to Ethiopia but humanitarian aid in areas such as health, food and education. “People in Tigray continue to suffer human rights violations, abuses, and atrocities, and urgently needed humanitarian relief is being blocked by the Ethiopian and Eritrean militaries as well as other armed actors,” Blinken said in a statement.