 The United States has begun restricting visas for government and military officials of Ethiopia and Eritrea, seen as undermining efforts to resolve the deadly fighting in Ethiopia's Chigre region. It says it's time for the international community to take action in a conflict that has sparked allegations of ethnic cleansing and fears of famine. The Ethiopian government caught the action misguided and regrettable in a response issued on Monday. Thousands of people are estimated to have died in the six months. The conflict between Ethiopian troops and the Tigray People's Liberation Front TPLF has raged in the northern regional states. Atrocities include in rape, extrajudicial killings and forced evictions have been part of the violence.