Report of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (A/HRC/51/46) (Advance Unedited Version)

Human Rights Council
Fifty-first session
12 September–7 October 2022
Agenda item 4
Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention

Summary

In the present report, submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution S-33/1, the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia presents its initial findings. The report concludes that there are reasonable grounds to believe that violations, such as extrajudicial killings, rape, sexual violence, and starvation of the civilian population as a method of warfare have been committed in Ethiopia since 3 November 2020. The Commission finds reasonable grounds to believe that, in several instances, these violations amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The report provides an assessment of transitional justice developments and makes urgent recommendations.

1. Introduction
2. The United Nations International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (the Commission) presents its report to the Human Rights Council at a difficult and dangerous time for Ethiopia and its people. After a tense, five-month cessation of hostilities, fighting resumed in August 2022 between the Federal Government of Ethiopia (Federal Government) and its allies, and forces backing the Tigray authorities (Tigrayan forces). Ethiopia’s beleaguered civilian population now faces renewed risks after enduring the consequences of nearly two years of conflict. The hostilities have expanded beyond Tigray to other areas of the country and risk spreading beyond Ethiopia’s borders, with consequences for peace in the Horn of Africa.
3. These events follow allegations of killings of hundreds of civilians in southwest Oromia from June through August 2022. Hate speech attacking and dehumanizing ethnic groups, a key indicator of future atrocity crimes, shows no sign of abating. The humanitarian situation in Tigray remains in crisis, largely due to shortages of food, medicine and fuel. The region also remains disconnected from Ethiopia’s telecommunications, banking and electricity networks. Ongoing events demonstrate the importance of the Commission’s mandate to investigate allegations of international human rights, humanitarian law, and refugee law violations, and advise the parties on transitional justice, accountability, reconciliation, and healing.
4. The Commission has faced time and staffing constraints as well as lack of access to sites and documents. Therefore, this report cannot offer an exhaustive record of all the events during the reporting period, nor a full strategy for transitional justice. Instead, these constraints have required the Commission to select a manageable preliminary group of incidents and themes reflecting some of the most significant violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. They have also restricted the Commission to offering only its initial views on certain mechanisms for justice and accountability established to date. In order to thoroughly fulfil its mandate, the Commission requires additional time and resources for investigations and engagement with stakeholders. It also requires unhindered access to sites of interest, and cooperation from parties to the conflict and UN entities.
5. This report concludes with an initial set of urgent recommendations to the parties and the international community. They are imperative for achieving sustainable peace and long-term respect for international human rights and humanitarian law in Ethiopia.

Source: UN Human Rights Council