Human Rights Situation in Northern Ethiopia as Revealed by Government

March 4, 2021

Having investigated Maikadra and Humera region massacre, Ethiopian government indicated that it is investigating human rights violations in the rest of north Ethiopia including in Axum 

A partial view of Axum city (file)

Borkena

There are still allegations against Ethiopian government regarding human rights violations in Tigray, northern Ethiopia. The latest came from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,Michelle Bachelet. 

She claimed serious violation  of International law – perhaps something that amounts to “war crimes and crimes against Humanity.” The claim is based on a preliminary, as the report by the commission put it, analysis of information gathered. Also, the commission claimed a “credible” sources for the information, but  sources are unspecified. 

It is implied that the violation is committed by all parties involved in the conflict, as reported in the UN news update. Ethiopian Defense Force, Tigray People’s Liberation Front, Eritrean Armed Forces and Amhara Regional Forces are implicated. 

Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has not yet released a statement regarding the allegations. 

On Wednesday, the government of Ethiopia released a statement regarding the situation in the northern part of the country including the human rights situation. 

It said that the government has  “taken concrete steps to address human rights abuses that have occurred within the context of the conflict triggered by the TPLF.” 

It is stated that one of the major human rights violations was in Maikadra where hundreds of civilians were massacred by TPLF militia. Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has confirmed that the massacre was committed by TPLF youth structures organized as Samri.  Arena Tigray, an ethnic Tigray opposition party, confirmed this week about the massacre in Maikadra in the statement it released. But it also called for investigation and disclosure of other human rights abuses in other parts of the region, Northern Ethiopia. 

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The statement from the government said that the Federal Police and Federal Prosecutor investigated the atrocities committed in Humera and Maikadra. 

Furthermore, the report said that 250 witnesses have given testimony to the investigating team. 

Two hundred suspects linked to the massacre are in detention. Many more suspects have crossed to the border to Sudan, it was indicated. 

Rights violations in Axum 

Regarding the rights violations in the Axum area, the statement said that “federal investigators are conducting investigations in relation to other credible allegations of atrocities and serious human rights abuses in other parts of the region, including in Axum.” 

The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission indicated readiness to collaborate with the UN agency in the investigation of human rights crimes in Axum and other parts of the region.