Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF) Chief of Staff General Filipos Woldeyohannes (Credit: tesfanews.net )
By Gary Raynaldo DIPLOMATIC TIMES
The United States is designating the Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF) Chief of Staff General Filipos Woldeyohannes (Filipos) for his connection with serious human rights abuse committed during the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia. The EDF are responsible for massacres, looting, and sexual assaults. EDF troops have raped, tortured, and executed civilians, according to the U.S. Department of The Treasury s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Filipos is designated pursuant to Executive Order 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption around the world.
“Under Filipos’ command, EDF troops have raped, tortured, and executed civilians in Ethiopia. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have described a systematic effort by the EDF to inflict as much harm on the ethnic Tigrayan population as possible in the areas the EDF controls. Eritrean troops have forcibly displaced civilians and ransacked businesses; IDPs spoke of a “scorched earth” policy intended to prevent civilians from returning home. The United States condemns in the strongest terms human rights violations and abuses in Ethiopia, including those involving the killings, forced removals, and systemic sexual violence.”
-U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (Credit: U.S. Department of State)
United States Calls Upon Eritrean government to Withdraw its Military Forces “Immediately and Permanently” from Ethiopia
“The United States condemns in the strongest terms human rights violations and abuses in Ethiopia, including those involving the killings, forced removals, and systemic sexual violence. The United States is concerned that large numbers of EDF have re-entered Ethiopia, after withdrawing in June. Prolonged, intensified and expanded conflict increases the risks of violence against civilians and rights violations. We call upon the Eritrean government to withdraw its military forces immediately and permanently from Ethiopia,” Secretary of State Blinken said. “We call on the UN Security Council and wider international community to come together to push for a peaceful resolution of this ongoing conflict.”
The ongoing conflict in Tigray has exacerbated a humanitarian crisis that threatens hundreds of thousands of lives – U.S. Treasury Department
” Despite an estimated 5 million people in need of humanitarian aid, and more than 400,000 people experiencing famine conditions, Ethiopian federal and Amhara regional forces continue to restrict humanitarian access, while the Ethiopian government has called for all capable Ethiopians to mobilize to support the campaign in Tigray. These escalatory actions risk furthering a severe humanitarian crisis” – Treasury Department.
Filipos is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13818 for being a foreign person who is a leader or official of an entity, including any government entity, that has engaged in or whose members have engaged in, serious human rights abuse relating to his tenure.
All property and interests in property of the person above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or otherwise exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.
