The US is restricting economic and security assistance to Ethiopia over alleged human rights abuses during the conflict in Tigray region the US State Department said.
It will bar current or former Ethiopian or Eritrean government officials it deems responsible for the crisis.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement the actions were to press for a resolution of the crisis. Further US actions are possible, he said.
Thousands were killed and about two million forced from their homes in Tigray after conflict erupted between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Ethiopian military last November.
Blinken said the US would continue humanitarian assistance and other critical aid to Ethiopia and would carry on with existing broad restrictions on assistance to Eritrea.
The Ethiopian government is under increasing pressure from the international community to demonstrate accountability as reports of atrocities in Tigray mount. The European Union suspended budget support payments amid reports of gang rapes, mass killings of civilians and widespread looting in the northern region.