WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on Wednesday with Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, the spokesman of the US Department of State, Ned Price, said in a statement. During the call, they discussed their concerns over the expansion of armed confrontation in the Amhara and Afar regions of Ethiopia, the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Tigray region, and reports of Eritrean troops re-entering Ethiopia, all of which impact regional stability. Blinken and Hamdok agreed to encourage all parties to enter negotiations toward a ceasefire, to engage in an inclusive political dialogue to preserve the unity and integrity of the Ethiopian state, and to allow full humanitarian access to those in need. The US secretary of state and the Sudanese premier also discussed progress in Sudan’s democratic transition and ways to expand US-Sudanese relations. Washington"s relations with Sudan have returned to normal after the US removed the African country from its list of state sponsors of terrorism in 2020.