Rights Groups Call for Renewal of Human Rights Experts’ Mandate in Ethiopia Amid Ongoing Atrocities
A coalition of prominent rights groups has joined forces to urge member states of the UN Human Rights Council to extend the mandate of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE). The call comes as the Council’s 54th session is set to commence in Geneva on September 11th.
In a joint letter, 64 organizations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam, and the World Peace Foundation have called for a one-year extension of ICHREE’s term, which is due to expire this September. Despite the cessation of hostilities agreement reached last year, the dire human rights situation in Ethiopia necessitates the continuation of investigations, the groups argued.
ICHREE, established by the Human Rights Council in 2021, has been tasked with investigating allegations of human rights violations and abuses committed by all parties in the conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. Although the Ethiopian government has impeded its efforts, ICHREE presented findings last year that indicate reasonable grounds to believe war crimes have been committed.
The rights groups have raised concerns over ongoing atrocities, including rape, denial of humanitarian access, and ethnic cleansing targeting Tigrayans, even after the formal end of hostilities. In recent months, abuses linked to government forces and militia groups have also affected the Amhara and Oromia regions.
Laetitia Bader, Horn of Africa Director at Human Rights Watch, emphasized the critical nature of ICHREE’s mandate, independence, and impartial work. The continuation of evidence gathering and accountability efforts is essential in the current context, Bader stated.
While the federal government of Ethiopia has pledged to implement transitional justice reforms, the rights groups remain skeptical about the capacity of the country’s judicial institutions to effectively prosecute crimes under international law.
Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Director for East and Southern Africa, emphasized the importance of justice for victims and called on the Human Rights Council to extend ICHREE’s term. Pressure must be maintained on all parties involved to put an end to the ongoing abuses, Muchena added.
In related news, Ethiopia recently concluded public consultations on transitional justice policy options. These consultations, which occurred across the country since March 2023, have set the stage for the formulation of a national transitional justice policy. However, the rights groups assert that impartial investigations and reporting must not be delayed during the transitional justice process to ensure accountability for the atrocities committed.
Additionally, on August 31st, more than 30 civil society and human rights organizations expressed their disappointment in an open letter addressed to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR). They criticized the decision to terminate the mandate of the commission of inquiry on Tigray without publishing a report of its findings and recommendations.
As the international community pays attention to the ongoing human rights abuses in Ethiopia, the call to renew ICHREE’s mandate highlights the importance of continued investigations and the pursuit of justice. The renewal of the mandate will ensure that evidence is gathered and accountability is pursued, ultimately seeking justice for the victims affected by the atrocities.
