Ethiopia says Eritrea agrees to withdraw troops from Tigray

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — Ethiopia says Eritrea has agreed to withdraw its forces from the Ethiopian region of Tigray.

The statement Friday by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office comes after intense pressure from the United States and others to address the deadly crisis in Tigray, where witnesses have described Eritrean soldiers looting, killing and raping.

Abiy’s statement after a visit to Eritrea says Ethiopian forces will take over guarding the border areas “effective immediately.”

Abiy only in the past week has acknowledged the presence of soldiers from Eritrea, long an enemy of the Tigray leaders who once dominated Ethiopia’s government.

The new statement doesn’t say how many Eritrean soldiers have been in Ethiopia, though witnesses have estimated well in the thousands.