Rights campaigners have expressed their outrage at the decision by the African Union’s rights commission to halt its investigation into wartime abuses in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. They suspect that the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights may have succumbed to political pressure from the Ethiopian government. The UN Human Rights Council had previously ordered a separate probe into abuses committed by all parties involved in the civil conflict, but Ethiopia rejected international efforts for investigation, fearing that it could compromise the peace process.
A recent study conducted by Physicians for Human Rights and the Organization for Justice and Accountability in the Horn of Africa analyzed medical records from health centers in Tigray. Shockingly, the study revealed that at least 128 sexual assaults have occurred since the signing of the peace agreement between the Ethiopian federal government and representatives of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in November 2021. The peace accord marked the end of a devastating two-year civil war that claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians. However, the peace process has not put an end to the sexual violence against women and girls in the region, perpetrated by alleged former combatants.
It is important to note that neighboring Eritrea, whose troops fought alongside the Ethiopian federal forces during the war, was not included in the peace deal brokered by the African Union and other parties. Experts believe that the number of rape cases analyzed in the study represents only a fraction of the actual assaults that have taken place.
According to the study’s findings, the victims consistently identified the attackers as members of a military group, often from Eritrea. Shockingly, 76% of victims reported that they were sexually assaulted by multiple men, often three or more. Additionally, the report indicates that in 94% of cases, no condoms were used. Disturbingly, some women and girls were subjected to repeated abductions and sexual assaults.
In response to these findings, Martin Witteveen, an international criminal law expert who previously worked with the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, notes that accountability mechanisms are primarily in the hands of diplomats and politicians, which may lead to failures in addressing these heinous crimes.
On another note, it has been announced that Ethiopia will join the BRICS economic block, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
The halting of the investigation into wartime abuses in Tigray has drawn strong condemnation from rights campaigners, who argue that justice is a crucial part of the healing process for survivors of rape and sexual violence. The findings of the medical records study underscore the urgent need to address these atrocities and hold perpetrators accountable. While Ethiopia’s inclusion in the BRICS economic block is a significant development, it should not overshadow the pressing issue of ongoing sexual violence in the Tigray region.
