U.S. Senator Chris Coons, who met with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other officials during his recent trip to Ethiopia, said his visit was "constructive." (Getty Images)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: March 24th, 2021
New York (TADIAS) — U.S. Senator Chris Coons has returned home after a special trip to Ethiopia on behalf of President Joe Biden to discuss the current crises in the Tigray region.
Senator Coons, who met with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other officials during his stay in Addis Ababa, said his visit to Ethiopia was positive and encouraging.
“I just returned from a weekend spent as President Joe Biden’s personal emissary meeting with Prime Minister Abiy and a whole range of senior Ethiopian officials and others in the international community, which I believe was constructive,” Senator Coons said during the Senate Foreign Relations Committee business meeting on Wednesday. “I want to note that there has already been positive public statements by PM Abiy in the last 24-hours recognizing the need for accountability for human rights violations, the first public acknowledgment of the presence of Eritrean troops and just in the last few hours positive statements about the possible resolution of the border dispute with Sudan and the path forward on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.”
Coons, who is a close Biden ally and a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, added: “There are other issues we must address: full humanitarian access, the cessation of hostilities, the path forward for free and fair elections. I look forward to working with each of you on these issues and hopefully there being more progress.”
Watch: Sen. Coons Speaks at SFRC Business Meeting – March 24, 2021
—
Related:
UPDATE: DOJ Documents Show Who is Lobbying U.S Officials on Ethiopia Issues
U.S. Announces Additional Humanitarian Assistance for the Tigray Crisis Response
FP EXCLUSIVE: Biden Sends Closest Ally Senator Chris Coons to Ethiopia
UPDATE: U.N. Rights Chief Agrees to Ethiopia Request for Joint Tigray Inquiry
Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.
