Ethiopia: One year on, violations of peace agreement continue in Tigray and beyond

2023-09-28T21:30:06.711Z

Highlights: A peace agreement was signed on 2 November 2022 between the Ethiopian federal government and rebel authorities in Tigray. But according to these UN experts, violations continue and hostilities have even spread to other parts of the country. This includes systematic rape and sexual violence against women and girls. The experts accuse the Ethiopian government of failing to effectively prevent or investigate these violations. They point to the high level of impunity in the country and say they are "deeply alarmed by the deteriorating security situation" and need independent monitoring.

One year after the signing of a peace agreement between the government and rebels in Tigray province, serious human rights violations continue to be committed. This is what emerges from a...

Ethiopia: One year on, violations of peace agreement continue in Tigray and beyond

One year after the signing of a peace agreement between the government and rebels in Tigray province, serious human rights violations continue to be committed. That's according to a report by a UN panel of experts presented last week to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. A peace agreement was signed on 2 November 2022 between the Ethiopian federal government and rebel authorities in Tigray, ending two years of war. But according to these UN experts, violations continue in Tigray and hostilities have even spread to other parts of the country.

Soldiers wearing uniforms of Eritrean troops near Ethiopia's Adigrat city in the Tigray region on March 18, 2021. REUTERS - BAZ RATNER

By: RFI Follow

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According to the expert group, atrocities, war crimes and crimes against humanity continue to be committed in the country. First of all, in Tigray, where Eritrean troops – who came to support the Ethiopian army and members of the Amhara militia – are still present despite the end of the war and continue to commit serious violations. This includes systematic rape and sexual violence against women and girls.

The commission warns that hostilities have even spread to other regions. First, in Amhara, the commission says it has received reports of mass arbitrary detentions of civilians. This has been the case since the federal government declared a state of emergency last month. Then in Oromia, where government forces continue to arrest, detain and torture civilians, UN experts say.

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The experts accuse the Ethiopian government of failing to effectively prevent or investigate these violations. They point to the high level of impunity in the country. "We are deeply alarmed by the deteriorating security situation," they said, stressing the importance of independent monitoring and investigation.

We collected testimonies from women who continued to be victims of sexual violence three months after the signing of the peace agreement. Some were victims of gang rape, others of sexual slavery. We also collected testimonies of summary executions of civilians in at least 2 locations in Tigray, abuses committed by Eritrean forces.

02:20

Haimanot Ashenafi, Amnesty International researcher

Alexandra Brangeon

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Ethiopia: One year on, violations of peace agreement continue in Tigray and beyond

Ethiopia: One year on, violations of peace agreement continue in Tigray and beyond

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