On Thursday, it was revealed that investigators for the UN’s human rights office had begun an investigation into the alleged slaughter of at least 200 people in Ethiopia’s Oromia region.
Speaking on the fringes of the Human Rights CouncilOpens in new window in Geneva was Kaari Betty Murungi, chair of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia.
The killings in Western Oromia were reported to the Commission last week as it continued to look into human rights violations connected to the crisis in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray area that erupted in November 2020.
Remember Ethiopia
Ms. Murungi emphasized that despite numerous other crises occurring worldwide, the world must not disregard what is occurring in Ethiopia:
“The continued escalation of violence, fueled by hate speech and encouragement of ethnic and gender-based violence, are early warning signs of additional atrocity crimes against defenseless populations, particularly women and children who are more vulnerable.
The humanitarian situation already present in Ethiopia and the area is being exacerbated by the escalating conflict.
The Commission, which was established in December 2021, has the responsibility of conducting investigations to ascertain the truth and the circumstances surrounding claims that all parties to the conflict in Ethiopia have violated or abused international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and international refugee law since November 2020.
Absence of access
According to Ms. Murungi, “the severe humanitarian crisis is made worse by the civilian population’s inability to access humanitarian assistance, including medical and food aid, in some areas, obstruction of aid workers, and the persistent drought, which exacerbates the suffering of millions of people in Ethiopia and the region.”
The Commission, she continued, “emphasizes the Government of Ethiopia’s responsibility to put an end to such abuses on its territory and, bring those responsible to account.”
Since the start of hostilities in November 2020 in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, forces loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) on one side and Ethiopian national forces, Eritrean troops, Amhara forces, and other militias on the other have brutally waged an ethnic cleansing campaign to drive hundreds of thousands of Tigrayans from their homes.
The only route for relief entering Tigray was through Afar as the violence spread to the adjacent districts of Afar and Amhara.
Numerous violations
Widespread human rights violations, such as massacres, gender-based violence, extrajudicial killings, forced relocations, violence against refugee camps, and brutality against internally displaced people, are allegedly committed by warring parties.
A humanitarian truce was established by the Ethiopian government in March of this year, paving the way for residents in the area to receive much-needed relief.
By “turning a page,” Ethiopia
Zenebe Kebebe Korcho, Ethiopia’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, stated that “the country is now turning a page” in response to the Commission’s report.
The Ethiopian government has made the decision to look for a peaceful resolution to the crisis. To address the nation’s political issues, a comprehensive national dialogue is opened. The government has implemented several efforts to foster confidence.
The Commission, which was established in March, is also tasked with advising the Ethiopian government on measures related to transitional justice, such as accountability, national reconciliation, and healing.
Ambassador Zenebe Kebebe Korcho claims In order to ensure accountability for alleged major human rights breaches, Ethiopia has also taken action.
The Ethiopian government helped the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHROpens in new window) conduct a joint investigation into the conflict in the Tigray region.