Ethiopia: the inhabitants of Tuhuli, in Tigray, tell the story of hell
Audio 01:29
Many women in Tuhuli in Tigray were raped during the attack (illustration image) AFP - EDUARDO SOTERAS
Text by: RFI Follow
4 min
A new series of abuses has reportedly been perpetrated by the Ethiopian army in Tigray.
The conflict between the federal army and the former provincial power of the TPLF since November has already resulted in thousands of deaths.
Each camp is accused of having committed crimes against the population.
Our special envoy, Sébastien Németh, went to Tuhuli, a village about thirty kilometers west of the provincial capital Mekelle.
Residents reportedly suffered a brutal attack by the federal army last Tuesday and Wednesday.
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With our special correspondent in Tuhuli,
Sébastien Németh
The inhabitants speak of 24 hours of ordeal.
The soldiers are said to have arrived in large numbers.
Maybe several hundred.
They would have gone door to door, beating and stripping those who opened the door to them.
Tedros, 39, suffered serious eye injuries.
“
Six soldiers broke down the door.
They asked for my ID, took my money and beat me up.
One of them tried to stranger me, another beat my eye with his boots.
I fled while they were counting the money they had stolen from me.
"
But the military also attacked women.
The number of victims is still unknown, but a nurse speaks of at least twenty rapes.
Azadamara, 45, is in tears when she tells the hell that 3 soldiers have subjected her to.
“
They raped me one by one.
They wanted to strangle me and hit my genitals.
It lasted for 4 hours.
They accused me of being the mother of rebels.
Today my body and my mind are broken.
"
Shame and social pressure prevent many victims from coming forward.
A health worker, Sister Tayir is based there and has never seen such a tragedy.
“
Sexual desire is a normal thing.
But this is different.
Serial, systematic rapes, for me it is hatred, to destroy the dignity of the Tigrayans.
"
For some victims, the sexual abuse is aimed at sterilizing women and preventing the emergence of a new generation of Tigrayans, who would seek to avenge their parents.
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