Africa-Press. The American ambassador to Addis Ababa, Irvin Massinga, conducted consecutive visits to the regions of Tigray and Amhara in northern Ethiopia amid rising political tensions between the federal government and Tigray regional leaders.
Massinga’s visits to Tigray and Amhara, which lasted two days, focused on supporting the implementation of the Pretoria Agreement, enhancing regional stability, and expanding trade relations, coinciding with the commencement of a national dialogue conference in the capital, Addis Ababa.
The visit followed an announcement by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front earlier this week stating that the Pretoria Agreement, which ended the war in November 2022, “has effectively collapsed” due to what it described as the failure of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government to fulfill its commitments.
The Tigray Front had previously announced that the political leaders who reappointed themselves in Tigray would not participate in the national dialogue conference taking place in Addis Ababa.
The American embassy stated in a release that Massinga’s visit aimed to emphasize the urgent need for open dialogue and the full, unimpeded implementation of the Pretoria peace agreement to prevent the resurgence of conflict.
It added that peace and stability enable local communities to build their capacities and transition from reliance on emergency aid to self-sufficiency in the long term.
Last month, the U.S. State Department imposed visa restrictions on members of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and their immediate family members due to escalating tensions in the north of the country.
During discussions with regional leaders, the American ambassador stressed that “stability is a key element for expanding trade between the United States and Ethiopia.”
He also met with the president of Gondar University, which has received American support for seventy years, and visited its specialized hospital, reviewing U.S.-funded tuberculosis outreach programs that serve residents across the region.
The American ambassador’s tour included visits to several U.S.-funded projects, as well as a tour of the historic Fasil Ghebbi castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site dating back to the seventeenth century.
