US Secretary of State Antony Blinken underscored the need for Ethiopia's leaders to meet clear benchmarks in order to be reinstated to AGOA and expressed his concerns that the exit of external forces from the Tigray Regional State remains incomplete. Blinken visited Ethiopia last week, bearing a 331 million-dollar humanitarian aid package, in light of the devastating impact of the war. The United States is the single largest humanitarian aid provider to Ethiopia providing north of 1.8 billion dollars since 2022. The concession of Human rights violations by both the federal government and TPLF was heralded by the secretary as a promising development. He said that the final decision will be an interdepartmental ruling by several government bodies in the US. The Secretary held a series of meetings with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his deputy Demeke Mekonnen, Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of the AUC, Workeneh Gebeyehu, executive secretary of IGAD and senior members of the TPLF. He stated that the US Government will be closely monitoring Ethiopia's progress in achieving transitional justice, indicating that this will be a key factor in determining the country's future relationship with the US. The US Government's close attention to Ethiopia's situation signals a heightened interest in the region and underscores the need for continued international attention to the ongoing challenges facing the country

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