US State Secretary calls for de-escalation by Ethiopia and Eritrea

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called for de-escalation in the Horn of Africa amid fighting in northern Ethiopia and heightened tensions with neighbouring Eritrea.

Rubio spoke by phone with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Wednesday, urging dialogue under a peace deal agreed between Ethiopia and Eritrea in 2018. He said the region could not tolerate more conflict, according to a statement from the State Department.

Renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia's Tigray region in recent weeks has effectively shattered a 2022 peace agreement that ended a devastating two-year war. Ethiopia has accused Eritrean troops of occupying parts of its territory , while Eritrea condemned Ethiopia for what it called a declaration of war.

Human Rights Watch has received reports of civilians killed and injured by shelling in southern Tigray, Laetitia Bader, the group’s deputy Africa director, told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday.