The Government of Ethiopia denounced the announcement of the United States to impose sanctions on the State of Eritrea noting it has never called on international community to evacuate Eritrean army from Ethiopia's soil.
The Government of Ethiopia said it does not believe that the State of Eritrea is an impediment to sustainable peace in Ethiopia. The real and present threat to peace in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa Region is the continued belligerence and aggression of the TPLF, it argued.
“We reiterate that the international community's reluctance to strongly condemn the destabilizing roles of the TPLF has emboldened the terrorist group,” the government said.
The government on Saturday said in statement that US lacked to consider TPLF's invitation of Eritrea to involve in Ethiopia’s war by firing rockets.
The statement mentioned that Eritrea has a sovereign right to respond to “imminent danger” to its territorial integrity and security.
The Government of Ethiopia said it has never lodged any grievances to the international community regarding the initial presence of Eritrean forces on its soil.
In addition, the Government of Eritrea has evacuated its military forces from Ethiopia following the declaration of the Unilateral Humanitarian Ceasefire by the Government of Ethiopia at the end of June 2021, the statement recalled.
If the purpose of sanctions is to force parties to cease their destabilizing actions, the Ethiopian Government strongly believes that the real target for sanctions and further tougher actions by the US Government and the greater international community should be directed on the TPLF.
“We, therefore, implore the US Government to rescind its decision to impose sanctions on the State of Eritrea and to take actions against the real root cause of the current challenges in Ethiopia-the TPLF,” the statement noted.
On 13 November 2021, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated four entities and two individuals pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14046 in response to the growing humanitarian and human rights crisis and expanding military conflict in Ethiopia.
The action targets Eritrean actors that have contributed to the crisis and conflict, which have undermined the stability and integrity of the Ethiopian state.
The presence of Eritrean forces is an impediment to ending the ongoing fighting and increasing humanitarian access in Ethiopia. Leaders from around the world have repeatedly called for Eritrea to withdraw its forces from Ethiopia.
The E.O., which President Biden signed on September 17, 2021, authorizes targeting of actors contributing to the ongoing crisis in Ethiopia and is not directed at the people of Ethiopia or Eritrea.
“We condemn the continued role played by Eritrean actors who are contributing to the violence in northern Ethiopia, which has undermined the stability and integrity of the state and resulted in a humanitarian disaster,” said Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control Andrea M. Gacki. “Treasury will continue to use all our tools and authorities to target and expose those whose actions prolong the crisis in the region, where hundreds of thousands are suffering. Parties to the conflict must come to the negotiating table without preconditions. The United States stands ready to pursue additional actions, including against the Government of Ethiopia and the TPLF, if there is not tangible progress toward a cessation of hostilities.”
The individuals and entities designated in the Executive Order are the Eritrean Defense Force, the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, Abraha Kassa Nemariam, Hidri Trust, Hagos Ghebrehiwet W Kidan, and Red Sea Trading Corporation.
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