UN Seeks Access To Ethiopia’s Tigray For War Crimes Probe

Related stories

How 2027 Intrigues, Power Play Ousted Ganduje as APC National Chairman

By Abiola Olawale Latest reports emerging on Friday as to...

NAPTIP Declares Speed Darlington Wanted for Rape, Cyberbullying Allegations

By Abiola Olawale The National Agency for the Prohibition of...

NNPCL Raises Alarm, Says Saboteurs Plot to Derail Corruption-Free Overhaul

By Abiola Olawale The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC...

Kenyan High Court Condemns Nnamdi Kanu’s Extradition to Nigeria as Unlawful

Awards ₦120 Million in Damages By Abiola Olawale A Kenyan...

 

The United Nations’ human rights chief on Thursday asked Ethiopia to allow monitors into Tigray to investigate reports of killings and sexual violence that may amount to war crimes in the northern region since late 2020.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, said in a statement “Victims and survivors of these violations must not be denied their rights to the truth and to justice,”  expressing her fear that violations could continue with impunity.”

Fighting between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s federal troops and forces of the region’s former ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), has killed thousands of people, forced hundreds of thousands from their homes and hit infrastructure badly.

There was no immediate response to the UN statement from Abiy’s government, the Tigray administration or the TPLF.

Until this month, the mountainous region of about 5 million people, with a long history of conflict including war with neighbouring Eritrea, had been off-limits for media since the war began in early November.

Relief agencies had also struggled for access, while communications were patchy.

“Serious violations of international law, possibly amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity, may have been committed by multiple actors in the conflict,” Bachelet said.

“Deeply distressing reports of sexual and gender-based violence, extrajudicial killings, widespread destruction and looting of public and private property by all parties continue to be shared with us, as well as reports of continued fighting in central Tigray in particular,” Bachelet said.

She mentioned the culprits as Ethiopia’s army, the TPLF, Eritrea’s military, and troops and militia from the neighbouring Amhara region.

With witness accounts of atrocities including rape, looting and massacres emerging from refugees and others, the warring sides have been repeatedly blaming each other.

There was no immediate response to the UN statement either from Amhara authorities or the Eritrean government.

Abiy declared victory when the TPLF abandoned the regional capital Mekelle at the end of November. But lower-level fighting has continued in some areas, according to people in Tigray.

President Isaias Afwerki’s government in Asmara has in the past denied any involvement, while the Abiy administration in Addis Ababa has repeatedly said it is restoring law and order and will investigate allegations of abuses.

“The government of Ethiopia takes its responsibility for the safety, security, and well-being of all Ethiopian citizens very seriously,” the foreign ministry said in a Feb. 28 statement.

“That is why it is fully committed to undertake thorough investigations to get to the bottom of the issue and bring perpetrators to justice.”

Bachelet’s statement said more than 136 rape cases had been reported in hospitals in east Tigray between December and January, with indications of many more unreported.

“Reliable sources have shared information about the killing of eight protestors by security forces between 9 and 10 February in Adigrat, Mekelle, Shire and Wukro,” the statement added.

Indiscriminate shelling occurred in November in Mekelle, Humera and Adigrat, while mass killings had been reported in Axum and Dengelat, the UN rights boss said.

Source (Reuters/NAN)

'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide's journalism works intersect business, environment, politics and developmental issues. Among a number of local and international publications, his work has appeared in the New York Times. He's a winner of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Award. Currently, the Online Editor at The New Diplomat, Akintomide has produced reports that uniquely spoke to Nigeria's experience on Climate Change issues. When Akintomide is not writing, volunteering or working on a media project, you can find him seeing beautiful sites like the sandy beaches that bedecked the Lagos coastline.

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

[tds_leads input_placeholder="Your email address" btn_horiz_align="content-horiz-center" pp_msg="SSd2ZSUyMHJlYWQlMjBhbmQlMjBhY2NlcHQlMjB0aGUlMjAlM0NhJTIwaHJlZiUzRCUyMiUyMyUyMiUzRVByaXZhY3klMjBQb2xpY3klM0MlMkZhJTNFLg==" pp_checkbox="yes" tdc_css="eyJhbGwiOnsibWFyZ2luLXRvcCI6IjMwIiwibWFyZ2luLWJvdHRvbSI6IjQwIiwiZGlzcGxheSI6IiJ9LCJwb3J0cmFpdCI6eyJtYXJnaW4tdG9wIjoiMTUiLCJtYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tIjoiMjUiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn0sInBvcnRyYWl0X21heF93aWR0aCI6MTAxOCwicG9ydHJhaXRfbWluX3dpZHRoIjo3NjgsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6eyJtYXJnaW4tdG9wIjoiMjAiLCJtYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tIjoiMzAiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn0sImxhbmRzY2FwZV9tYXhfd2lkdGgiOjExNDAsImxhbmRzY2FwZV9taW5fd2lkdGgiOjEwMTksInBob25lIjp7Im1hcmdpbi10b3AiOiIyMCIsImRpc3BsYXkiOiIifSwicGhvbmVfbWF4X3dpZHRoIjo3Njd9" display="column" gap="eyJhbGwiOiIyMCIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTAiLCJsYW5kc2NhcGUiOiIxNSJ9" f_msg_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_input_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_btn_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_pp_font_family="downtown-serif-font_global" f_pp_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxNSIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTEifQ==" f_btn_font_weight="700" f_btn_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxMyIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTEifQ==" f_btn_font_transform="uppercase" btn_text="Unlock All" btn_bg="#000000" btn_padd="eyJhbGwiOiIxOCIsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6IjE0IiwicG9ydHJhaXQiOiIxNCJ9" input_padd="eyJhbGwiOiIxNSIsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6IjEyIiwicG9ydHJhaXQiOiIxMCJ9" pp_check_color_a="#000000" f_pp_font_weight="600" pp_check_square="#000000" msg_composer="" pp_check_color="rgba(0,0,0,0.56)" msg_succ_radius="0" msg_err_radius="0" input_border="1" f_unsub_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_msg_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxMyIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTIifQ==" f_input_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxNCIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTIifQ==" f_input_font_weight="500" f_msg_font_weight="500" f_unsub_font_weight="500"]

Latest stories

NDN
Latest News
How 2027 Intrigues, Power Play Ousted Ganduje as APC National ChairmanExclusive! Nigerians, International bodies Demand Justice as Ogun State Govt Stalls Estate Development, 9 Years after Payments for landNAPTIP Declares Speed Darlington Wanted for Rape, Cyberbullying AllegationsNNPCL Raises Alarm, Says Saboteurs Plot to Derail Corruption-Free OverhaulKenyan High Court Condemns Nnamdi Kanu’s Extradition to Nigeria as UnlawfulJust In! High Stake Intrigues as Ganduje Resigns as APC National ChairmanOil Prices Set For Weekly Loss as War Premium EvaporatesList of Top 10 Most Advanced Countries in the WorldWhy African Countries Depend On Foreign Handouts, Aids -- ObasanjoRivers Crisis: How Tinubu Brokered Peace Between Fubara, Pro-Wike LawmakersRivers Crisis: How We Resolved Our Rift With Fubara -- Wike RevealsEnergy Projects: Proton Energy Secures Major Funding Deal with AfreximbankFubara vs. Wike: Shehu Sani Expresses Doubt About Resolution, Says Fubara's Loyalists Won't Be HappyPrince Ademola Adeniji-Adele: The Forgotten Hero of June 12 China Launches Phase 2 Deep-Sea Gas Field Adding
X whatsapp