Semafor published on 28 September 2026 an article titled "Democrats Press Trump Administration to Intervene in Ethiopia" by Adrian Elimian.
All Democratic members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Africa panel criticized both sides of the conflict in Ethiopia and faulted the Trump administration for letting sanctions on regional actors lapse days before hostilities resumed.
The U.S. Department of Defense posted on 22 July 2025 a press release titled "China, Russia, Terrorist Networks Destabilizing Africa" by David Vergun.
Air Force Lt. General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, who is being considered as the new commander of U.S. Africa Command, appeared before the Senate Committe on Armed Services. He expressed concerns that Chinese and Russian efforts to increase influence in Africa could threaten U,S. national security.
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott and Republican candidate for President issued on 27 October 2023 a press release titled "Scott Pushes Back on China, Empowers American Students Through HBCU-Africa Partnership Act."
Scott, who is also ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health introduced the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)-Africa Partnership Act of 2023 to promote exchange opportunities between HBCUs and African partners. Scott noted the act is designed in part to counter China's exchange program whereby more than 80,000 African students were studying in China in 2018.
Today News Africa published on 17 March 2023 an article titled "China Is America's Greatest Threat in Africa, Top U.S. Commander Michael Langley Tells Senate, Cites Competition with CCP over Continent's Minerals Needed by American Firms" by Simon Ateba.
U.S. AFRICOM commander Michael Langley testified before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee last week. He argued that China is trying to change international norms and seeking African support to do so. China is also interested in additional military bases and access to minerals in Africa.
The Office of U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (Democrat of Maryland) issued a short statement on 15 December 2022 concerning the Senator's meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Senator Van Hollen and Prime Minister Abiy discussed the Ethiopian Cessation of Hostilities Agreement. The senator urged the prime minister to implement all elements of the agreement, including the withdrawal of Eritrean forces from Ethiopia.
The Washington Post published on 17 November 2021 an article titled "Cruz's Blockade of Biden's Foreign Policy Appointees Is Hitting Africa the Hardest" by Tobi Raji, Theodoric Meyer, and Jacqueline Alemany.
The Senate has not yet approved any Biden administration nominee as ambassador to an African country. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas is blocking the confirmation of nominees in an effort to force the administration to reimpose sanctions on the company that overseas a gas pipeline project from Russia to Germany. Senators Marco Rubio of Florida and Josh Hawley of Missouri are also involved in the blockage of nominees.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee introduced bipartisan legislation on 4 November 2021 called the Ethiopia Peace and Democracy Promotion Act of 2021.
The legislation mandates the imposition of targeted sanctions against individual actors who are found to undermine attempts to resolve, who profit from, or who provide material support to any entity that is party to the civil war. It is designed to punish actors who continue to fuel violence, violate human rights, and undermine a democratic, peaceful, and unified Ethiopia.
The text of this comprehensive bill is aimed at Eritrea as well as Ethiopia.
In a 29 April 2021 letter to US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, five US senators expressed concern about the increase in ethnic violence in Ethiopia, urged reform before the 5 June parliamentary elections, and called for an independent investigation of human rights abuses throughout the country.
The senior foreign policy advisor for Senator Cardin asked that I correct my interpretation of a sentence in the letter I described as a call for postponement of Ethiopia's 5 June election. He points out that the senators were NOT calling for the elections to be postponed. They were calling for electoral reforms to be done in order to build public confidence in the elections - which should be held as scheduled, but not in a manner that would exacerbate tensions and lead to violence.
My apology for misinterpreting that part of the letter.
The U.S. Senate has introduced a bipartisan resolution calling on the government of Ethiopia, the TPLF, and other belligerents to cease all hostilities, protect human rights, allow unfettered humanitarian access, and cooperate with independent investigations of credible atrocity allegations pertaining to the conflict in Tigray Region of Ethiopia.
