US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Ethiopia seeking to support the peace process after a civil war that has now lasted more than two years.
Blinken’s trip comes as President Joe Biden’s administration seeks to counter Chinese influence on the continent.
Russia also has been establishing a foothold, bolstering relations with many nations —including Ethiopia.
It's the highest-ranking visit by a US official to the country since the outbreak of conflict between Ethiopia’s government and Tigrayan rebels in 2020.
Since then, relations have been strained with Washington accusing Addis Ababa of crimes against humanity. Ethiopia has denied these claims.
US estimates say about 500,000 lives have been lost in the conflict.
Blinken will begin his trip by meeting with Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen and is also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and leaders of the Tigrayan forces.
Molly Phee, the top US diplomat for Africa, stated that Blinken's visit would aim to consolidate peace, but added the US-Ethiopian relationship was not ready to go "back to normal."
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