Washington, DC [US], October 4 (ANI): Amid escalating cross-border frictions between Ethiopia and Eritrea, the United States urged both nations Saturday to exercise "maximum restraint", cautioning that any fresh hostilities risk precipitating an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe across the Horn of Africa.

In an official release, the State Department stressed that the worsening discord carries wide-ranging regional ramifications. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott remarked, "Increasing cross-border tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea have the potential to affect the entire region."

Emphasising the fragility of the area, Pigott added, "The Horn of Africa cannot sustain another military conflict and humanitarian crisis. A conflict jeopardises ongoing US collaboration on shared interests with both countries."

Washington further appealed to Addis Ababa and Asmara to uphold international norms concerning territorial sovereignty while abandoning any escalatory measures. Stressing the necessity for diplomatic channels, Pigott stated, "We strongly urge Ethiopia and Eritrea to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of their neighbors, exercise maximum restraint and return to dialogue and cooperation as agreed in their 2018 peace framework." He concluded by noting that "Peace through dialogue is the only path toward sustainable security, economic growth, and prosperity."

This diplomatic intervention arrives as security conditions within northern Ethiopia deteriorate alongside sliding bilateral relations. Rather than introducing punitive actions or sanctions, the recent US advisory prioritised de-escalation, pointing back to the 2018 accord that resolved their historical hostilities.

Tensions have mounted following renewed hostilities in Ethiopia's northern Tigray zone. Consequently, official US travel advisories currently instruct citizens to avoid travel to the Tigray region and the Eritrean border due to ongoing armed conflict and volatility.

Diplomatic relations between the two neighbours have experienced severe instability over the past three decades. Following a prolonged struggle for independence, Eritrea formally separated from Ethiopia in 1993, which later culminated in a destructive border war spanning from 1998 to 2000 that claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Ties remained strained until a historic rapprochement in 2018, when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki successfully restored bilateral relations. (ANI)