U.S. encouraged by Decision to withdraw Eritrean troops from Tigray

ADDIS ABABA – The United States has called the decision to withdraw Eritrean troops from Northern Ethiopia as encouraging.

The government of Eritrea agreed to withdraw its forces out of the northern region Tigray following a discussion between President Isaias Afowrki and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed held on Friday.

“We’re certainly encouraged by Prime Minister Abiy’s announcement that the government of the state of Eritrea has agreed to withdraw its forces from Ethiopia,” Jalina Porter, Deputy Spokesperson at the States department.

“The immediate and complete withdrawal of Eritrean troops from the Tigray region will be an important step in de-escalating the conflict as well as restoring regional peace and stability,” Porter added.

The decision to withdraw came days after Prime Minister Abiy and Senator Chris Coons, on behalf of Joe Biden’s administration, met in Addis Ababa.

“We appreciate the time and the deliberation that Prime Minister Abiy has provided in meeting and with the senator and continuing to engage on our concerns with the ongoing crisis in the Tigray region,” the deputy spokesperson said.