U.S. imposes visa restrictions over renewed tensions in Northern Ethiopia

The United States has announced targeted visa restrictions against individuals accused of undermining peace efforts in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, as concerns grow over a possible relapse into conflict.

In a press statement issued on June 17, U.S. State Department spokesperson Thomas “Tommy” Pigott said the measures are aimed at “hardline members” of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and their immediate family members. The decision follows renewed clashes earlier this year between the Tigray Security Forces (TSF) and the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF), marking the first direct confrontation since the end of the devastating 2020–2022 war.

Washington warned that escalating tensions risk reversing fragile peace gains and destabilizing not only northern Ethiopia but the wider Horn of Africa region.

“Rising tensions between TPLF hardliners and the Ethiopian government have threatened to reignite the conflict,” Pigott said, noting that recent violence has already displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians who fear a return to full-scale war.

The visa restrictions are being implemented under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows the Secretary of State to deny entry to individuals whose actions are deemed detrimental to U.S. foreign policy interests. Secretary of State Marco Rubio authorized the move, targeting those considered responsible for or complicit in obstructing efforts to resolve the crisis in Tigray.