US President Joe Biden has called for a cease-fire in the brutal ongoing conflict between Ethiopian government forces and separatist fighters in the region of Tigray, calling out “large-scale human rights abuses.” The statement came a day after the UN warned of famine in the region, and three days after Washington cut aid to Ethiopia and imposed travel restrictions on combatants on both sides of the war. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is facing growing international scrutiny over allegations of war crimes and ethnic cleansing campaigns carried out by government forces and allied fighters from neighboring Eritrea. Abiy’s government, which has repeatedly cut internet service and obstructed free reporting in Tigray, denies the charges and has threatened to “re-assess” its relationship with long-time ally Washington. Does the Biden administration really have the will and the leverage to stop the violence?