Ethiopia crisis: G7 'seriously concerned' about human rights violations in Tigray
In a joint statement, the G7 countries urged all parties to provide immediate and "unhindered humanitarian access" to Ethiopia's conflict-hit region.
- World News
- 3 min read
G7 countries are "seriously concerned" about alleged human rights violations in Ethiopia's conflict-hit region Tigray. In a joint statement, the G7 countries urged all parties to provide immediate and "unhindered humanitarian access" to Ethiopia's conflict-hit region. “We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, as well as the High Representative of the European Union, are seriously concerned about recent reports of human rights violations and violations, as well as violations of international humanitarian law in Tigray”, read the statement.
It further read, “We condemn the killing of civilians, sexual and gender-based violence, arbitrary bombing and the displacement of residents of Tigray and Eritrean refugees. All parties must exercise the greatest possible restraint, guarantee the protection of the civilian population and respect human rights and international law. We acknowledge recent commitments by the government of Ethiopia to hold those responsible for such violations accountable and look forward to their implementation.
"We note that the Ethiopian Commission on Human Rights (EHRC) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) have agreed to conduct a joint investigation into the human rights abuses committed by all parties in the context of the conflict in Tigray. It is essential that reported crimes are investigated in an independent, transparent and impartial manner and that those responsible for these human rights violations are held accountable,” the joint statement by the ministers released Friday said.
Ethiopia's leader acknowledges the atrocities
This comes after Ethiopia’s leader agreed that atrocities have been reported in Tigray region. The leader also admitted that troops from neighbouring Eritrea have gone into Tigray and their presence has inflicted “damages” on the region’s residents. Abiy said, in an address before lawmakers, “Reports indicate that atrocities have been committed in Tigray region”.
He said, “War is a nasty thing”. He further added, “We know the destruction this war has caused”. The leader said that the soldiers who raped women or committed other crimes will be held responsible, even though he cited “propaganda of exaggeration” by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. Speaking about the soldiers, he said, “The argument the Eritrean government presents for this is that it is a national security issue because Ethiopian troops are going after (Tigrayan) forces in other locations, so they want to keep controlling border areas. But they have told us they don’t have the willingness to stay as long as we control trenches along the border."
UN urges to stop 'horrific sexual violence'
Recently, several UN officials were asked to stop indiscriminate and targeted attacks against civilians. In a joint statement, officials including UN aid chief Mark Lowcock, rights chief Michelle Bachelet and refugee chief Filippo Grandi, noted the reports of rape and “other horrific forms of sexual violence”. They called on the warring parties to protect civilians from human rights abuse, condemn sexual violence and hold perpetrators accountable.