Washington (Horn post) The United States has imposed visa restrictions on leaders of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and members of their families, citing growing tensions in northern Ethiopia that could reignite conflict and destabilize the wider Horn of Africa region.
Washington says escalating tensions in northern Ethiopia could trigger another devastating war, threatening regional peace and stability.
The announcement was made by the United States Department of State, which warned that the deteriorating security situation in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region poses a serious threat to regional peace and stability.
In an official statement, the State Department referenced clashes earlier this year involving Tigray security forces and the Ethiopian military, marking Washington’s first major action of this kind since the devastating 2020–2022 Tigray conflict.
That war is estimated to have killed nearly 600,000 people and triggered widespread famine, displacement, and one of Africa’s worst humanitarian crises in recent history.
U.S. officials said hundreds of thousands of civilians have once again been displaced from their homes in northern Ethiopia amid fears that another armed conflict could erupt.
Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, announced the visa sanctions targeting certain TPLF leaders and their immediate family members.
The United States has not publicly disclosed the identities of the TPLF officials affected by the visa restrictions.
The move signals growing international concern over Ethiopia’s fragile post-war stability and renewed fears that tensions in Tigray could escalate into another large-scale conflict.
Prepared by:
Horn post staff
Hargeisa, Somaliland
