Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) presence and (b) reported actions of (i) regular and (ii) irregular Eritrean troops in Ethiopia.
We remain concerned about the impact of the continued fighting in Tigray on the wider stability in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. As I made clear to the Eritrean Ambassador on 16 March, and through joint statements at the Human Rights Council and by the G7 on 2 April, Eritrea's role in the Ethiopian conflict is particularly concerning. There are numerous reports of atrocities involving Eritrean forces, and the presence of Eritrean forces is fuelling insecurity. These forces must leave Ethiopia immediately, in line with the commitment made by Prime Minister Abiy in his announcement on 26 March. We are closely monitoring the situation and are clear that their withdrawal must be swift, unconditional and verifiable. We have yet to see any evidence that Eritrean forces are leaving Tigray and will continue pressing for this commitment to be delivered.