Marking five years since the outbreak of war in Tigray, Ethiopia in November 2020, the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) has joined a coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in issuing a joint letter expressing grave concern that atrocities - including mass rape, forced pregnancy, sexual torture, sexual slavery and deliberate starvation - in Ethiopia continue unabated despite the 2022 Pretoria Agreement .
The IBAHRI and partners urge the international community to renew independent monitoring, ensure humanitarian access and pursue accountability for crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Mark Stephens CBE, IBAHRI Co-Chair, commented, 'Violence, displacement and widespread rights violations continue to devastate Ethiopia even though a formal ceasefire is meant to be in place. The closure of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia [ICHREE] has left a dangerous vacuum in oversight. The international community must act now to re-establish credible monitoring and justice mechanisms before another generation suffers irreparable harm.'
The Tigray War ranks among the deadliest conflicts of the 21st century, with estimated death tolls ranging from 600,000 to 800,000. By December 2022, starvation-related deaths were estimated to have reached between 96,000 and 218,000. By 2023, around 19.7 million people in Ethiopia were reported to be facing high levels of acute food insecurity and widespread disease outbreaks amid restricted aid access.
In the joint appeal, the IBAHRI calls on states, the United Nations and regional organisations to take urgent and concrete measures, including to:
- renew and support independent monitoring: reinstate and strengthen impartial international mechanisms to document ongoing violations in Tigray, Amhara, Oromia and beyond;
- strengthen civilian protection: expand humanitarian access and protection strategies ensuring life-saving aid reaches all affected populations without delay or obstruction;
- ensure unhindered humanitarian access and protection for internally displaced persons (IDPs): invest in durable solutions for IDPs across the country including safe return and access to essential services, grounded in human rights;
- guarantee survivor-centred justice mechanisms: prioritise justice processes that centre the rights and needs of victims and survivors, ensuring inclusive, independent mechanisms for truth-telling, reparations and psychosocial support;
- pursue accountability at multiple levels: support international or hybrid justice processes capable of prosecuting atrocity crimes, including through universal jurisdiction, while bolstering Ethiopia's capacity for independent investigations and trials; and
