UN denounces possible crimes against humanity in Tigray

First modification: 09/20/2022 – 04:09Last modification: 09/20/2022 – 04:10

War crimes and crimes against humanity were likely committed during the conflict tearing Ethiopia apart since late 2020, according to a report for the UN Human Rights Council.

The three-member commission that drafted the report “has reasonable grounds to believe that, in a number of cases, the violations amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

“The commission is deeply concerned by what it has found because it reflects deep polarization and inter-ethnic hatred in Ethiopia,” the report said. “This has created a disturbing cycle of extreme violence that is met with retaliation, increasing the imminent risk of new and more serious atrocities,” said experts concerned about the situation.

As early as November 2021, a joint report by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights referred to violations, some of which could “constitute war crimes and crimes against The humanity”. This covered the period between November 3, 2020 and June 28, 2021.

“A devastating impact on the civilian population”

The conflict erupted in early November 2020, when the federal government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched an offensive against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebels who control this region of northern Ethiopia.

Tigray authorities “have always assured” that the federal government is responsible for crimes against humanity, said a TPLF spokesman interviewed by the AFP agency. When contacted by this agency, the federal government did not react immediately.

The resumption of fighting in the north of the country on August 24 broke a five-month truce.

The experts highlighted the dire situation in Tigray, where the federal government and its allies have denied some six million people access to basic services for more than a year, and where severe restrictions on humanitarian access have left 90% of population in urgent need of help.

The report states that there are “reasonable grounds to believe that the federal government and allied regional governments (primarily Eritrea) have committed and continue to commit ethnically motivated crimes against humanity and other inhumane acts.” They are “intentionally causing great suffering” by restricting humanitarian aid to Tigray, the document says.

Commission chairwoman Kaari Betty Murungi described the humanitarian crisis in Tigray as “shocking in its scale and duration.”

“The widespread denial and obstruction of access to basic services, food, health care and humanitarian assistance is having a devastating impact on civilians, and we have reasonable grounds to believe that this amounts to a crime against humanity.” said the official.

“We also have reasonable grounds to believe that the federal government is using famine as a method of warfare,” he added, calling on the government to “immediately restore basic services and ensure unimpeded humanitarian access.”

Kaari Betty Murungi also called on the TPLF forces to “ensure that humanitarian agencies can operate without hindrance.”

Obstacles to research

The commission – which also detailed the many impediments that have limited its investigation on the ground, from the ban on leaving Addis Ababa, the capital, to the lack of resources – was created on December 17, 2021 for one year, to carry out carried out a thorough and independent investigation into the allegations of repeated human rights violations.

In a series of recommendations, he called on the federal government, but also the authorities in Eritrea and Tigray, to ensure that perpetrators of abuse are brought to justice. He urged international and regional organizations to “take steps to restore peace, stability and security and prevent further violations” of human rights.

The experts also called on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to constantly monitor the situation and continue to call on the parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law, human rights and refugee rights.

*Article adapted from its original in French