War crimes and crimes against humanity are likely to have been committed during the conflict that has torn Ethiopia apart since late 2020, a group of experts said in a report for the UN Human Rights Council on Monday.
“The Commission is deeply concerned by what it has found because it reflects deep ethnic polarization and hatred in Ethiopia,” the report says.
“This has created a worrying cycle of extreme violence that is met with retaliation, further increasing the imminent risk of new and even more serious atrocities,” the experts say.
They urge international and regional organizations to “take measures to restore peace, stability and security and prevent further violations” of human rights.
Tigray authorities reacted to these accusations on Monday. “We have always maintained” that the Ethiopian government is responsible for crimes against humanity, said Getachew Reda, spokesman for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
Obstacles to research
The UN experts also call on the United Nations 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. .
The Commission, which also detailed the numerous obstacles that limited its on-site investigation, was established for one year by resolution S-33/1 on December 17, 2021, to carry out a thorough and independent investigation into the allegations of repeated violations. . human rights.
The conflict erupted in early November 2020 when the federal government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched an offensive against Tigray rebels from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) who controlled this region of northern Ethiopia.
The resumption of fighting in northern Ethiopia on August 24 broke a five-month truce.
Source: BFM TV
