Rubio Urges Ethiopia–Eritrea De-escalation in Call With Abiy

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed heightened tensions with Eritrea during an October 14 call with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. Rubio expressed support for de-escalation by all sides and dialogue and engagement under the 2018 Ethiopia–Eritrea peace framework to address internal and external tensions. He urged countries across the Horn of Africa to respect their neighbors’ sovereignty and territorial integrity and avoid cross-border incursions. Rubio warned that the region could not tolerate further conflict, according to the official readout of the call.