US diplomats visit to Amhara occupied town of Alamata, Tigrai sparks an uproar

Tigrai Online 6/22/2023

Diplomats from the United States embassy in Addis Ababa visited the town of Alamata in Southern Tigrai which has been occupied by the invading Amhara forces since 2020. US diplomats visit to an Amhara-occupied town in Tigrai led to an uproar in the population of Tigrai.

Tigraians in the diaspora and in Tigrai reacted so furiously to the news condemning the visit as abhorring action. Most people see the US diplomats visit to Amhara-occupied town in Tigrai as an endorsement to the illegal occupation.

President of Interim Regional Administration of Tigrai, Getachew Reda reacted to US diplomats visit to Amhara, Tigrai very strongly.

“A delegation of diplomats from the US Embassy was in Alamata, doing God-knows-what. Whatever the objectives of their trip to Alamata & other parts of Tigray illegally occupied by Amhara forces, their decision to publicly socialize-gifts & all-with illegal authorities does amount to sanctioning a patently illegal occupation of Tigray territory by extremists hellbent on sabotaging our overtures for peace. While the US Government has all along pursued a principled position on the need for peaceful resolution to the conflict, it is not entirely clear why seasoned diplomats would indulge in a garish display of apparent complicity in a poorly written drama orchestrated by illegal authorities in occupied Tigray territories. We believe such behavior flies full in the face of US commitment to Pretoria. It's totally unacceptable.” Getachew Reda said today on his Twitter page.

The US government, the United Nations and IGAD are the observers when the Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) signed the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) in Pretoria, South Africa on November 2/2022. It has been over seven months since the CoHA has been signed, but Eritrean forces are still in Tigrai and Amhara forces are occupying Western and Southern Tigrai. The people of Tigrai are frustrated the CoHA is not implemented fully after seven months.  

US diplomats visit to Amhara occupied town of Alamata, Tigrai will ignite another round of war. We are not sure if this visit reflects the policy of US government or not but goes contrary to what they have been doing so far.

The US Embassy in Ethiopia didn’t say anything about the visit of the diplomats so far. The people of Tigrai demand urgent explanation from the US Embassy in Ethiopia before things go out of control and the CoHA is undermined by this illegal visit.