“We are lifting some restrictions on certain kinds of assistance, while pausing food aid,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. “Our fundamental approach here has been to reinforce progress toward enduring peace, while not overlooking concerns in Ethiopia when we assess that our assistance is being misdirected,” Kirby said. The United States terminated Ethiopia’s trading preferences under the African Growth and Opportunity Act effective the start of 2022, pointing to human rights concerns. The United States has previously estimated that some 500,000 people died in the two-year conflict, making it one of the deadliest wars of the 21st century and dwarfing the toll from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The State Department said separately Friday that the change in guidance did not erase US concerns about the situation in Ethiopia.

Source: Ethiopian News June 30, 2023 22:14 UTC