WASHINGTON, 26 November 2021, (TON): The United States warned “there is no military solution” to Ethiopia’s civil war and said “diplomacy was the first, last, and only option after state-affiliated media said Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was at the front line.”

With government forces fighting rebels from the northernmost Tigray region, Ethiopian media reported that Abiy was at the front “giving leadership from the battlefield” in an escalating year-long crisis that has prompted growing international alarm.

A State Department spokesperson said in a statement “there is no military solution to the conflict in Ethiopia.”

The official added “we are aware of reports that Prime Minister Abiy is on the front today, and media reporting of high-profile Ethiopian athletes, parliamentarians, party and regional leaders who have also announced that they will join the Prime Minister on the frontlines.”

“We urge all parties to refrain from inflammatory and bellicose rhetoric, to use restraint, respect human rights, allow humanitarian access, and protect civilians.”