Rubio Speaks With Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy, Backs De-escalation and Dialogue Under 2018 Ethiopia-Eritrea Peace Framework
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke on October 14 with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed about rising tensions between Ethiopia and its neighbor Eritrea, according to a readout of the call released the same day by the U.S. Department of State. Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in the readout that Rubio voiced support for efforts to de-escalate tensions and to maintain stability in the region.
According to the readout, Rubio noted that Ethiopia and Eritrea should seek a resolution through dialogue, in accordance with the countries' 2018 peace framework and the principles of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both nations. Rubio also affirmed the Trump Administration's goal of maintaining peace and stability in the Horn of Africa and across the continent.
As previously reported by GSM, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki wrote to the UN Security Council in early October denying that Eritrea threatens Ethiopia and accusing Ethiopia of belligerent rhetoric, calling Ethiopia's push for sea access a geopolitical escalation and asking the UN to condemn it.
Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a border war from 1998 to 2000 that killed tens of thousands of people. After Abiy became prime minister in 2018, the two countries signed a peace agreement and restored relations, and Abiy received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019. In recent years, as landlocked Ethiopia has pressed its demand for access to the Red Sea and disputes over its Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam have continued, relations between the two countries have again grown strained.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 埃塞俄比亚总理阿比·艾哈迈德（资料图，2019年摄）。The Kremlin, Moscow／Wikimedia Commons，CC BY 4.0
