US condemns apparent Eritrean offensive in Tigray

'This is of extreme concern and must stop,' says US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Mike Hammer

Eritrean forces have reportedly launched a full-scale offensive in Tigray. AFP

The US on Tuesday condemned reports that Eritrea has launched a full-scale offensive in Ethiopia's embattled Tigray region.

Tigrayan forces said troops from neighbouring Eritrea launched the assault early on Tuesday and that heavy fighting was continuing in several areas along the border. Tigray spokesman Getachew Reda said the Eritreans had launched “a full-scale offensive” along all fronts.

A humanitarian worker in the northern Ethiopian town of Adigrat told the Associated Press that Eritrean forces were shelling the surrounding areas.

“This is of extreme concern and must stop,” US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Mike Hammer told reporters.

“The presence of Eritrean troops in Ethiopia complicates matters, and inflames an already tragic situation.”

Eritrean forces fought on the side of Ethiopian federal troops in Tigray when war broke out in November 2020. Their forces were implicated in some of the conflict's worst atrocities, though Asmara has denied involvement.

Mr Hammer recently returned to the US from Ethiopia, where he encouraged efforts for an immediate stop to the fighting between Addis Ababa and the Tigrayan regional authorities in African Union-led peace talks.

On that trip, Mr Hammer said he asserted that the biggest barriers in the current state of peace negotiations are “trust, trust, and trust.”

“There's no confidence on either side and that the other can't be trusted,” he said.

“They are basically two sides to one family, and families can be very rough.”

Captive Ethiopian soldiers arrive at the Mekele Rehabilitation Centre in Tigray, Ethiopia, after a four-day journey from Abdi Eshir. All photos: AFP

Women welcome Tigray People's Liberation Front fighters as they return to Mekele after seizing control of the city in June 2021.

Ethiopians who fled the Tigray conflict wait to charge their phones at Um Raquba refugee camp in Gedaref, Sudan.

A member of the Afar Special Forces stands in front of the debris of a house on the outskirts of the village of Bisober in Tigray.

People hold candles and Ethiopian flags at a memorial service for the victims of the Tigray conflict in Addis Ababa.

An Ethiopian refugee who fled fighting in Tigray waits behind a fence in a camp in Sudan.

Refugees living in a camp in Sudan after fleeing violence in Tigray.

A woman walks among the remains of a destroyed factory in Ataye, Ethiopia, where more than 100 civilians died in a recent flare-up of violence.

Two members of the Amhara militia ride in the back of a pick-up truck. Amharas and Tigrayans were uneasy neighbours before the current fighting, with tension over land sparking violent clashes.

Militias from the Amhara region have been involved in the fighting in Tigray.

Tens of thousands of Ethiopians gather at a rally organised by the mayor of Addis Ababa to show support for the military's efforts in Tigray.

Zeleke Alabachew, farmer and militia fighter, tends to his land near the village of Tekeldengy, Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation.

People celebrate the liberation of opposition leaders in the city of Alamata, Ethiopia.

A family fleeing violence sit in a former classroom at May Weyni secondary school, now hosting 10,500 displaced people, in Mekele, capital of Tigray.

Ethiopian refugees travel to Sudan to escape violence in Tigray.

Ethiopian refugees gather to celebrate the 46th anniversary of the Tigray People's Liberation Front at Um Raquba refugee camp in Gedaref, Sudan. The TPLF dominated Ethiopian politics before being ousted from their regional stronghold last year.

An Ethiopian refugee sets up a tent in a camp in the town of Gedaref, Sudan, after being transported from the border reception centre.

Pro-Tigrayan demonstrators display placards during a protest in front of the chancellery in Berlin.

The aftermath of heavy shelling in Wukro, a city north of Mekele, in Ethiopia.

Mr Hammer also discussed his recent trip to the UAE at Tuesday's press conference, noting that Washington's Gulf partners can play an important role in bringing stability to Ethiopia.

“We very much appreciate our discussions with our Emirati friends and partners. They bring their own perspective, and they understand the region supremely well,” the special envoy said.

“It's only through us all working in concert, hopefully, bringing our own perspectives in helping the parties understand how to best to resolve the differences.”