U.S. concerned about Ethiopia military escalation

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U.S. concerned about Ethiopia military escalation

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to Morocco's Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, who was not pictured at the State Department in Washington, U.S. November 22, 2021, during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. REUTERS Sarah Silbiger Pool

NAIROBI, Nov 27, Reuters - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is concerned about Ethiopia's military escalation and has called for urgent negotiations over the crisis, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman said.

The comments came hours after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appeared with the national army on the frontline.

Secretary Blinken expressed grave concern about the threat of military escalation in Ethiopia and emphasised the need to urgently move to negotiations, Ned Price said in a statement late on Friday.

Price released a statement after a phone call between Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta and Blinken.

Abiy was on the frontline fighting rebellious Tigrayan forces in the northeastern Afar region, according to Ethiopia's state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting. Abiy posted a video on his Twitter account. Abiy's government has been fighting Tigrayan forces for more than a year in a conflict that has killed thousands and displaced millions in Africa's second-most populous nation.