This commission, made up of three experts – Kenyan, American and Sri Lankan – was created in December 2021 for a period of one year, renewable by the United Nations Human Rights Council. She is in Ethiopia until July 30.
She is loadednovember2020 by all parties to the conflict”,”text”:”among other things to carry out a thorough and impartial investigation into the allegations of human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian and refugee law committed in Ethiopia since 3 November 2020 by all parties to the conflict”}}”>among other things, to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the allegations of human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian and refugee law committed in Ethiopia since November 3, 2020 by all parties to the conflict in Tigray, recalls the Council in a press release.
On Monday, the Ethiopian government recalled in a statement that it had initially refused to cooperate with this commission, before giving the green light to its arrival in Ethiopia.
There exists a opportunity for the government to reconsider its position on the issue of cooperation
with the commission if the latter respect the position of the government
on various points and if an agreement is reached on [ses] methods of action
can we read in this text.
The program for the visit of the three investigators has not been published, but they have already had a exploratory discussion
Monday in Addis Ababa with Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen, also Minister of Foreign Affairs, according to Fana BC, media close to the government.
The experts are in Addis Ababa to discuss with government officials and other partners, and try to find together acceptable modalities of working with the government within the framework of their mandate
says Fana BC.
The rebel authorities in Tigray had said they were ready in recent days to cooperate with the commission, while accusing the federal government of wanting to dictate the parameters and scope of the investigation, thus compromising its credibility
.
The conflict in Tigray, which then spread to the neighboring regions of Amhara and Afar, was marked by numerous abuses on each side.
Possible crimes against humanity
A joint investigation by the United Nations and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC, a public body) had2021 to possible crimes against humanity committed by all actors”,”text”:”already concluded at the end of 2021 to possible crimes against humanity committed by all actors”}}”>already concluded at the end of 2021 to possible crimes against humanity committed by all actorsrecalls theUN.
The conflict in Tigray began in early November 2020 when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent the federal army, backed by regional Amhara forces and the Eritrean army, to dislodge rebel authorities from the Tigray region. .
Initially defeated, the Tigray rebels regained control of the region in 2021. The fighting has almost ceased since a truce in March, but the humanitarian situation remains catastrophic in Tigray, difficult to access and deprived of telecommunications networks, the Internet or banks.
