Day: August 23, 2021

The United States imposed sanctions Monday on a top Eritrean defense official, citing Eritrea’s actions during the conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.

The Treasury Department said in a statement that it is sanctioning Filipos Woldeyohannes, the chief of staff of the Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF), accusing the forces of carrying out abuses in Tigray.

The Treasury Department said the EDF engaged in “despicable acts” in Tigray, including “massacres, looting and sexual assaults.”

“The EDF have purposely shot civilians in the street and carried out systematic house-to-house searches, executing men and boys, and have forcibly evicted Tigrayan families from their residences and taken over their houses and property,” it said.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a separate statement Monday, “The United States will continue to identify and pursue action against those involved in serious human rights abuse in Ethiopia and prolonging the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis.”

The Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the U.S. allegations, calling them “utterly baseless.”

“Eritrea calls on the U.S. administration to bring the case to an independent adjudication if it indeed has facts to prove its false allegations,” the ministry said in a statement.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops into Tigray last November, saying it was a response to attacks on federal army camps by forces loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

Both Ethiopia and Eritrea denied for months that Eritrean troops were also in the region. Eritrea later acknowledged their presence, but denied they were involved in human rights abuses.

Tigrayan forces retook the regional capital Mekele in June, forcing a withdrawal of some Eritrean troops from the region. However, Blinken said in his statement Monday, “the United States is concerned that large numbers of EDF have reentered Ethiopia, after withdrawing in June.”

The United Nations says the fighting in Tigray has killed thousands of people and put hundreds of thousands of people in danger of famine.

Source: Voice of America

The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on an Eritrean official it accused of being engaged in serious human rights abuse in the conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, where thousands have been killed and over 2 million displaced.

The U.S. Treasury Department in a statement said it had blacklisted Filipos Woldeyohannes, the chief of staff of the Eritrean Defense Forces, accusing the forces of being responsible for massacres, sexual assaults and purposely shooting civilians in the streets, among other human rights abuses.

The United States has repeatedly called for Eritrean troops to withdraw from Tigray.

“Today’s action demonstrates the United States’ commitment to imposing costs on those responsible for these despicable acts, which worsen a conflict that has led to tremendous suffering by Ethiopians,” Andrea Gacki, director of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, said in the statement.

“We urge Eritrea to immediately and permanently withdraw its forces from Ethiopia, and urge the parties to the conflict to begin ceasefire negotiations and end human rights abuses,” Gacki added.

Eritrea’s Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel did not return calls and text messages seeking comment.

War broke out in November between the federal army and forces loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) that controls the region.

The government declared victory at the end of that month, after seizing the regional capital Mekelle. But the TPLF kept fighting and at the end of June retook Mekelle and most of Tigray after government soldiers withdrew.

Source: Voice of America

A group of Somali opposition presidential candidates has rejected the government’s plan for upcoming elections. The rejection could result in yet another delay for the Somali polls.

The opposition Council of Presidential Candidates, or CPS, released a statement Monday saying they reject a new election roadmap proposed by the federal government and regional leaders.

The opposition argues that the process would give five regional leaders too much power in selecting the electoral delegates who will choose 275 members of parliament.

Opposition leader Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said there is need for a clear path towards the process on who will select the delegates and whom they represent since the parliamentary polls is based on the 4.5 power sharing formula. The former head of state adds they don’t want another delay on the polls, which were already delayed twice before, and thus demands a clear timetable.

The 4.5 formula refers to a plan for sharing power among Somalia’s dominant clans.

The indirect election of the parliamentarians is scheduled to commence early next month before the crucial presidential poll on October 10th. But, analysts say this new stalemate will delay the presidential polll if not urgently resolved.

Abdifatah Hassan, a Somali political analyst, said the new grievance by the opposition members will further push back the process to an unspecified date. He recommends urgent dialogue by the political stakeholders to avoid another election setback in the fragile nation.

Somalia’s election process was originally scheduled to start last year, but has been repeatedly delayed by political disagreements, in spite of pressure from the international community.

In April, Somali lawmakers voted for an extension of the president’s mandate, only to reverse that decision in May following violent clashes between opposition and government supporters in the capital Mogadishu.

Source: Voice of America