U.S. says it’s aware of Eritrean troops in northern Ethiopia

NAIROBI (Reuters) – The U.S. special envoy for the Horn of Africa said on Tuesday the United States was aware of Eritrean troops crossing into Ethiopia’s Tigray region and condemned it.

“We have been tracking Eritrean troops’ movement across the border … and we condemn it,” Mike Hammer told reporters in a briefing after a trip to Ethiopia to help facilitate African Union-led peace talks between the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan forces.

“All external foreign actors should respect Ethiopia’s territorial integrity and avoid fuelling the conflict,” he said. Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

(Reporting by Giulia Paravicini; Editing by Aaron Ross and Mark Heinrich)