- Title: Ethiopia conflict marked by violations on all sides, mass arrests - U.N.
- Date: 17th December 2021
- Summary: NEFAS MEWCHA, AMHARA, ETHIOPIA, (RECENT - DECEMBER 8, 2021) (Reuters) VARIOUS OF ROCKS PLACED OVER GRAVES OF THOSE KILLED IN FIGHTING AT THE HOLY TRINITY CHURCH PRIEST MERIGETA TSEGAW DERRESE WALKING TOMBSTONE OF A MAN KILLED DURING FIGHTING
- Embargoed: 31st December 2021 11:53
- Keywords: Ethiopia Human rgihts Tigray United Nations arrests conflict detention gender-based and sexual violence resolution violations
- Location: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
- City: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
- Country: Ethiopia
- Topics: Africa,Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA001F8FG47B
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: All sides in the deepening conflict in northern Ethiopia region are committing "severe human rights violations", the United Nations said on Friday (December 17), calling for them to pull back from their year-old war.
An estimated 5,000 to 7,000 people are detained, including nine U.N. staff, under a state of emergency and its "excessively broad provision", declared by the government last month, said Nada al-Nashif, U.N. Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights.
"Many are detained incommunicado or in unknown locations. This is tantamount to enforced disappearance, and a matter of very grave alarm," she told a special session of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The latest arrests included 83 people, including four women, detained by local forces this week in Guji zone of Oromia region, under the state of emergency, she said. A further 1,500 people of Tigray and Gumuz ethnicity were reportedly detained last week in Asosa, Benishangul-Gumuz region, she added.
A joint investigation published last month by the U.N. human rights office and the state-appointed Ethiopian Human Rights Commission found that all sides in Tigray's conflict had committed violations that may amount to war crimes.
"I also deplore increasing hate speech and incitement to violence by federal and regional authorities, as well as other public figures, particularly targeted against Tigrayans and members of the Oromo community," Nashif said.
The chair of the UN coordination committee of special procedures, Victor Madrigal-Borloz, raised concern over the increase of sexual and gender-based violence.
“The estimates are shocking. According to information at our disposal, from November 2020 to June 2021 over 2,200 survivors reported sexual and gender-based violence to health facilities across the Tigray region. One of the one-stop centres reported that the victims in over 90 percent of cases were minors and estimated that visits to the centre had quadrupled since the conflict erupted a year ago,†he said, adding that those figures are likely to be underestimated.
The forum will consider a draft resolution brought by the European Union that condemns violations committed by all sides and if adopted it would set up an international commission of human rights experts on Ethiopia to investigate further and report back after a year.
Ethiopian Ambassador Zenebe Kebede rejected the resolution and said it would not cooperate with any such commission.
The Slovenian ambassador, Anita Pipan, speaking for the EU, said:
"A number of violations may amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes, and urgently require further investigations by independent experts.
"We believe that the establishment of an independent international investigative mechanism, will enable inter alia to build upon the findings of the joint report, it is urgent and necessary to complement national efforts and ensure accountability. "
(Production: Cecile Mantovani) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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