By Ebi Kesiena
The UN Rights Chief on Wednesday slammed the extreme brutality characterising the conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, following a joint UN-Ethiopian report warning of possible “crimes against humanity” by all sides.
Michelle Bachelet insisted on the need to bring perpetrators of a vast array of rights abuses to justice.
In a statement, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stressed that the Tigray conflict has been marked by extreme brutality.
“The gravity and seriousness of the violations and abuses we have documented underscore the need to hold perpetrators accountable on all sides,” she said.
Her comments came after a joint investigation by her office and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) into abuses committed by all sides since the Tigray conflict exploded a year ago.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops into the northern Tigray region on November 3 last year, to detain and disarm the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, in response, he said, to the group’s attacks on army camps.
The 2019 Nobel Peace Laureate promised a swift victory, but by late June the rebels had regrouped and retaken most of Tigray.
Wednesday’s report came after Ethiopia declared a nationwide state of emergency and ordered residents of Addis Ababa to prepare to defend their neighbourhoods amid fears Tigrayan rebels were heading for the capital.
