October 6, 2023
[Image Credit: Eduardo Soteras/AFP/AFP via Getty Images]
Cited article by CNN
HRRC shares with CNN serious reservations about the conclusion of the UN-mandated investigation into human rights abuses in Ethiopia, despite ongoing atrocities in the region. Given the persistent risk of human rights violations and the urgent need for independent investigations in Ethiopia, HRRC underscores the importance of sustained international attention on the country's human rights situation. The victims of atrocities in Ethiopia who had placed their hopes in the commission deserve ongoing scrutiny and support.
News Brief
The UN-mandated investigation into human rights abuses in Ethiopia, established in 2021 after a motion by the European Union, is set to conclude on October 13, 2023. Despite ongoing atrocities in the region, none of the parties involved in the mandate requested its extension by the deadline. The International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia has released a report warning of continued human rights violations in Ethiopia and the urgent need for independent investigations. The conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region, which began in November 2020, resulted in widespread atrocities committed by various parties. Although a peace agreement was signed in November of the following year, the report indicated that atrocities persist in parts of Tigray. Unfortunately, advocates for extending the mandate faced significant opposition from African states, leading to its conclusion. As such, Human Rights Watch expressed disappointment in the European Union, which initially supported scrutiny of the human rights situation in Ethiopia but did not reach a consensus on renewing the mandate. Ethiopia, which had opposed the UN investigation, argued that its national justice policies were sufficient for conducting inquiries, a stance criticized by the UN commission. In response to the mandate's conclusion, an Ethiopian government spokesperson indicated that there was no need to discuss the matter further, characterizing it as the end of the commission's involvement in Ethiopia.