ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — The United States has imposed new visa restrictions on individuals it accuses of undermining peace efforts in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, signalling growing international concern over rising tensions that threaten to unravel a fragile post-war settlement.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the U.S. State Department said the measures target hardline members of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and their immediate family members, accusing them of actions that risk reigniting conflict in northern Ethiopia.
“Rising tensions between TPLF hardliners and the Ethiopian government have threatened to reignite the conflict in northern Ethiopia and undermine peace and security across the entire region,” the State Department said.
Washington said the restrictions are aimed at individuals deemed responsible for, or complicit in, efforts to obstruct the resolution of the crisis in Tigray, where a devastating civil war formally ended under a peace agreement signed in late 2022.
The announcement comes amid mounting concerns that divisions within the TPLF and disagreements over the implementation of the Pretoria peace agreement could destabilise one of Africa’s most fragile post-conflict regions.
Earlier this year, clashes were reported between forces aligned to the TPLF and Ethiopian federal troops, raising fears of a return to armed confrontation.
The latest tensions intensified in May when the TPLF moved to reassert control over Tigray’s regional political administration.
The party announced that it had restored the regional legislative council that existed before the outbreak of war in 2020 and subsequently elected TPLF chairman Debretsion Gebremichael as regional president.
The move was viewed by critics as a challenge to transitional arrangements established under the peace deal and deepened concerns about competing centres of authority within the region.
The Tigray war, which erupted in November 2020 between forces loyal to the federal government and the TPLF, became one of the deadliest conflicts of the 21st century.
The fighting expanded beyond Ethiopia’s borders, drawing in neighbouring Eritrea and various regional armed groups.
Researchers and humanitarian organisations estimate that hundreds of thousands of people died as a result of direct violence, disease, hunger and the collapse of essential services during the two-year conflict.
Entire communities were displaced, healthcare systems were crippled, and widespread allegations of human rights abuses were documented by international investigators.
Although the Pretoria agreement ended large-scale hostilities, implementation has remained uneven, with disputes persisting over governance, security arrangements, disarmament and the presence of foreign forces.
The new visa restrictions underscore growing frustration in Washington over developments in Tigray and serve as a warning to actors perceived to be jeopardising the peace process.
While the State Department did not publicly identify those affected, the move signals that the United States is prepared to increase diplomatic pressure on individuals it believes are contributing to instability.
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The restrictions also come as international partners continue to push both the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan leaders to fully implement the terms of the peace agreement and prevent a return to conflict.
Analysts warn that renewed fighting in Tigray would have far-reaching consequences not only for Ethiopia but also for the wider Horn of Africa, a region already grappling with political instability, humanitarian crises and security challenges.
For now, the U.S. measures represent one of the clearest signs yet that the international community is closely monitoring developments in northern Ethiopia and remains concerned that gains made since the end of the war could be at risk.
