Ambassador Linda said that the US knew Eritrean troops have moved back to the border, and have been asked to leave, Reuters news agency reported. The US had previously said the withdrawal of Eritrean troops from Tigray was "ongoing" and that the development was "key to securing a sustainable peace in northern Ethiopia." The general's remarks were also rebuked by Tigrayan official Getachew Reda who said that there were "thousands of Eritrean and Amhara forces in Tigray", and called Major General Teshome's statement "misleading". "Despite commendable signs of withdrawal of non-ENDF forces, there are thousands of Eritrean & Amhara forces in Tigray" Getachew tweeted, adding that, it is the AU Monitoring, Verification and Compliance Mission's (AU MVCM) task to verify the withdrawal. However he also said, "if the [AU MVCM] team's itinerary is any guide, there is little to suggest that this is going to happen soon".

Source: Ethiopian News January 30, 2023 21:35 UTC