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U.S. authorities have discussed with Turkey the sale of its drones to Ethiopia, where two sources familiar with the matter said there was growing evidence that the government had used weapons against rebel fighters.
Washington has “deep humanitarian concerns” about sales that could run counter to U.S. arms restrictions on Addis Ababa, a senior Western official said.
The year-long war between the Ethiopian government and leaders of the northern Tigris region, one of Africa’s bloodiest conflicts, has killed thousands of civilians and displaced millions.
A State Department spokesman said the U.S. envoy to the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, “spoke about reports of the use of armed drones in Ethiopia and the risk of harm to civilians” during a visit to Turkey last week. .
A senior Turkish official said Washington conveyed the concern at several meetings, while the Ethiopian military and government did not respond to detailed requests for comment.
Turkey, which is selling drones to several countries in Europe, Africa and Asia, has dismissed criticism that it is playing a destabilizing role in Africa and has said it is in contact with all parties in Ethiopia to boost negotiations.
Last week, the United Nations agreed to launch an independent inquiry into human rights abuses in Ethiopia, a move strongly opposed by its government./VOA
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