The United States ordered all soldiers to leave Ethiopia’s battlefront Tigray region immediately.

Fugitive leaders of the Tigray region have been pursued by Eritreans, who are fighting side by side with Ethiopian forces, but Ethiopia’s government has denied their presence.

Witnesses who fled the region say Eritrean troops go from house to house under the pretext of acting as local authorities, looting and killing young men.

A state department statement says there have been credible reports of sexual violence, looting, human rights abuses and assaults in refugee camps. There is also no valid evidence.

The statement reflected pressure by President Joe Biden’s administration, on the government of Ethiopia the anchor of the Horn of Africa, and other combatants as the fatal fighting in Tigray nears the 90-day mark.

The United States position has shifted significantly from the beginning of the conflict when Donald Trump’s administration praised Eritrea for its restraint.

The latest United States statement called for an autonomous and crystal clear investigation into the supposed abuses. It is unclear how many or precisely where Eritrean soldiers are in Tigray.

It is not instantly clear whether the United States addressed their demands directly to Eritrean officials.

By Yazdaan Khan