United States President Joe Biden has called for a ceasefire and end to “large-scale human rights abuses” in Ethiopia’s war-torn Tigray region, just days after the US imposed visa restrictions on Ethiopian and Eritrean officials accused of furthering the ongoing conflict.
In a statement on Wednesday, Biden said he was “deeply concerned” by escalating violence in Tigray and “the hardening of regional and ethnic divisions” in several parts of the country.
“The large-scale human rights abuses taking place in Tigray, including widespread sexual violence, are unacceptable and must end,” he said.
Biden also called on Eritrean and Amhara forces to withdraw from Tigray and for authorities to grant “immediate, unimpeded humanitarian access to the region in order to prevent widespread famine“.
Tens of thousands of people have fled the Congolese city of Goma after officials ordered the evacuation of parts of the city due to the risk of further eruptions from Mount Nyiragongo.
The evacuation order came after powerful aftershocks rocked the country on Tuesday morning, with tremors shaking the region every 10 to 15 minutes.
Nyiragongo, the most active volcano in the African continent, had roared back to life on Saturday, leaving about 20,000 people homeless and at least 32 people dead, according to the United Nations.
“Current data on seismicity and the deformation of the ground indicate the presence of magma under the urban area of Goma, with an extension under Lake Kivu,” Ndima Kongba, military governor of North Kivu province, said on Thursday in a broadcast public address.
Around 20,000 homeless, 40 missing in Congo volcano aftermath, says UN
Saturday s eruption sent rivers of lava streaming down the hillside from Mount Nyiragongo, destroying hundreds of homes and forcing thousands to flee.
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UPDATED: May 27, 2021 09:21 IST
A pedestrian walks near a crack on the road caused by earth tremors as aftershocks following the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo volcano near Goma, in the Democratic Republic of Congo May 26, 2021. (Photo: Reuters)
More than 20,000 people are homeless and 40 still missing in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption in eastern Congo that killed dozens and continues to cause strong earthquakes in the nearby city of Goma, the United Nations said on Wednesday.