United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken on Wednesday urged Ethiopia to ensure accountability over the brutal Tigray conflict but voiced guarded optimism at preserving peace, on a trip that marked an easing of a wartime rift between the longtime allies.
The top US diplomat said greater economic relations with Ethiopia depended on its commitment to both “reconciliation and accountability” over the war, which the United States estimates has cost about 500,000 lives.
He met with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who was angered during the war after Blinken alleged that crimes against humanity had been committed.
Blinken also met with representatives of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), saying that both sides voiced commitments to implement the November 2 peace accord brokered in South Africa by the African Union, with US support.