UN Rights Body Needs To Act On Ethiopia – OpEd

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As reports of grave rights abuses continue to emerge from the Tigray region of Ethiopia, the United Nations Human Rights Council is considering a resolution to add Tigray to its agenda. It should do so immediately.

Communities in Tigray have suffered months of atrocities, which UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has said may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. At the opening of the Human Rights Council’s current session, the high commissioner warned of “gross violations and abuses” including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, forced displacement, and sexual violence against children as well as adults. The UN special representative on sexual violence in conflict has repeatedly expressed alarm about widespread rape and sexual violence in Tigray, “with a cruelty that is beyond comprehension,” including gang rape by men in uniform.

Faced with evidence of such widespread abuses, the Human Rights Council should not remain silent. A resolution to consider the Tigray crisis is the bare minimum needed to bring the situation onto its agenda, a step already long overdue.

Regional and international investigations are currently underway – including one launched by the UN high commissioner. But without a resolution enabling her to present the results of the investigation, the council will have no opportunity to consider its findings. 

Ethiopia’s attorney general told the council that the results of the investigation would be made public, and that a resolution to discuss the findings at this stage would “undermine the integrity” of the process. But the draft text simply allows the council to receive an update from the high commissioner so that it can discuss the situation without prejudging or interfering with any ongoing investigations.  

Given the evolving security situation and restrictions on communications and access to Tigray, the Human Rights Council needs to adopt the proposed resolution so that it can receive and consider timely facts and fulfill its mandate to prevent further atrocities. After eight months of waiting, victims in Tigray deserve nothing less.

*About the author: Lucy McKernan, United Nations Deputy Director, Advocacy. This article was published by HRW.

6 thoughts on “UN Rights Body Needs To Act On Ethiopia – OpEd

  • July 10, 2021 at 3:23 am
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    Dear readers
    For the past eight months, the people of Tigray was killed every day, hours , minutes and seconds with out non stop by the Ethiopia, Eritrea , Somalia troops and the Amhara forces and militias. Women , girls and under age girls are gang raped by the un ethical troops and forces. Health facilities, industries, universities, high schools was deliberately destroyed . Crops burned, animals slaughtered, and all infrastructures was looted. In short #TigrayGenocide performed under blackout, with out communication, electricity, bank service. And Abiy Ahmed and Isayas Afeweqi now use starvation, and gang rape as a war tactics.
    In my observation the world is fake, the UNSC is fake, the EU is fake none of them couldn’t stop the #Tigray Genocide . #TigrayGenocide is well documented and clear but no one take action on the crimes and crimes against humanity was performed for the last eight months and continue. Tigray is now under waiting for humanitarian full access.# Humanitarian access for all Tigray.
    #stopTigrayGenocide # Stopweaponizerape #weponizedstarvation

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    • July 11, 2021 at 2:09 am
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      This is the kind of blatant lies the gullible West is deliberately being pushed to believe. Look not even seconds are left for rape and genocide. The gullible West is manipulated by highly paid lobbyists whose main motive is not the people of Tigrai but the disruption of Ethiopia and its eventual wished dismemberment by elements who want to deny her right to use her natural water resource, the Blue Nile 85% of which comes from Ethiopia but Ethiopia was forced to use 0%, injustice of the highest kind. All Tigrai story is made up and is no different from any civil conflict in any country where traditionally things are left to the sovereign jurisdiction of the country the conflict happens.

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  • July 10, 2021 at 3:45 am
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    Stop the man made famine in TIGRAY.

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  • July 10, 2021 at 8:58 am
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    When humanity is reduced to politics and business, it is uncommon to see such a type of article which is full of exaggeration and lie, a drama by TPLF.

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  • July 10, 2021 at 9:13 am
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    If the UN wants to get the truth it has to bring independent party to investigate as there is a coordinated effort from influential peoples like Susan Rice who was a paid lobbyist for TPLF and i would refer u back to her past comments,but also I would advise people to looke into the recent videos from Tigray where peoples don’t seem starved or traumatized. Show me the videos or photos where all this claims of hunger coming from!!!!!!!

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  • July 10, 2021 at 2:27 pm
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    Not only is this article based on simple motives in bad faith, putting undue pressure on Ethiopia to promote Policy of countering Chinese influence in the Horn of Africa and indirectly cornering Ethiopia to give in to Egyptian colonial lion’s share interests over the Nile River, it totally ignores the facts on the ground. The Ethiopian forces have already left Tigrai to its own inhabitants for implementing humanitarian needs. The initial pressure tactics of non-existent rape and genocide were brilliantly defeated by Ethiopian unilateral ceasefire moves. This article hankers back on non-existent facts. It only reflects the bad faith motives and desires of the author who refuses to see and acknowledge the realities on the ground. It is three or more weeks too late! Give it up sir!!

    Reply

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