US State Secretary calls for de-escalation by Ethiopia and Eritrea

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on Ethiopia and Eritrea to pursue the escalation amid fears of a war between the two neighbors. Rubio spoke by phone with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Wednesday, urging dialogue and a peace deal agreed between Ethiopia and Eritrea in 2018. He said the region could not tolerate more conflict, according to a statement from the State Department. Fighting erupted in northern Ethiopia last month between federal forces and rebels of the Tigray People's Liberation Front. Addis Ababa has accused Asmara of supporting the rebels. A security source told AFP that thousands of Eritrean troops were deployed in Ethiopia last week. Meanwhile, Eritrea has repeatedly accused Ethiopia of planning to invade it to gain access to the Red Sea. The two countries severed diplomatic relations earlier this month and have since accused each other of starting a war. In his phone call to Abiy Ahmed, Marco Rubio said all countries in the Horn of Africa must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of their neighbors.