US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken personally asked Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to find ways to end hostilities in the country’s northern Tigray Region. Blinken talked to Abiy over the phone on Tuesday and pushed the leader to withdraw its forces from the war-torn region.

State Department spokesperson, Ned Price, said that Blinken cited “credible reports” of human rights violations, abuses, and atrocities as his main concerns. The call was part of the Biden administration’s commitment to end what it had described as a “deepening humanitarian crisis.”

“The secretary urged the Ethiopian government to take immediate, concrete steps to protect civilians, including refugees, and to prevent further violence,” Price said.

The State Department said that the country strongly condemns the violence in Ethiopia amid the continued reports of human rights violations, sexual assaults, and other crimes conducted by “several parties.”

Last month, Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry criticized the U.S. for meddling in its internal affairs. The ministry called the US’ attempted intervention “regrettable.”

In the latest call, the State Department said that Ethiopia’s government had committed to ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of its citizens. Abiy reportedly said that he will be ordering the launch of investigations into the reported abuses.