This archive report was first published on 17 September 2021.
US President Joe Biden has taken a significant step to address the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia by signing an executive order authorizing sanctions on parties responsible for the crisis, if they refuse to agree to a ceasefire and dialogue.
On Friday, September 17, 2021, Biden signed the executive order, which aims to punish warmongers in Ethiopia and promote a negotiated ceasefire and political resolution of the crisis.
The order targets all parties to the conflict, including the governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea, as well as the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and Amhara regional government, if they violate the peace call.
According to Biden, the sanctions will help unlock humanitarian corridors, which have been blocked due to the conflict, and will punish anyone attacking, looting, obstructing, or destroying humanitarian aid and corridors.
The president emphasized that the situation in Tigray has been marked by activities that threaten the peace, security, and stability of Ethiopia and the greater Horn of Africa, including violence, atrocities, and serious human rights abuses.
The sanctions will target individuals, rather than their organizations, and will include freezing their property in the US, barring them from getting US Visas, and preventing Americans from doing business with them.
US financial institutions will also be barred from advancing credit or buying equity from the sanctioned individuals, which may prevent them from disposing of their assets.
The order aims to promote a negotiated ceasefire and political resolution of the crisis, and the US will seek to ensure that humanitarian assistance to at-risk populations can flow to Ethiopia through legitimate and transparent channels.
