Ethiopia’s Human Rights Commission: Ensure humanitarian assistance and access

The brewing war between forces loyal to Ethiopia’s government headed by the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the Tigray People's Liberation Front, has claimed hundreds of lives, is threatening to escalate  and destabilize the African Horn.

Our close partner and sister organisation the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is monitoring the military conflict closely and is in consultation with the relevant authorities regarding the risk of multidimensional human rights violations.

The Commission calls on the immediate creation of a 'Humanitarian Assistance Desk' at level of the federal government and or at the Federal Government level.

 “In situations of war or armed conflict, such as the one currently ongoing in Tigray Region, humanitarian assistance and access to basic services must be ensured in particular to protect the human rights and security of civilians not taking part in the conflict,” the Commission writes in a public statement.

Investigating human rights violations occurring during the conflict

The Commission further states that particularly armed persons taking part in the conflict have the responsibility to protect civilians. The Commission will work towards ensuring accountability by investigating and gathering evidence on human rights abuses committed by any party taking part in the conflict.

Regarding the humanitarian crisis in Mai Kadra in the Tigra Region, the Commission has dispatched a verification team on location to investigate and gather evidence.

It will also investigate any other human rights abuses wherever they might occur and will strive to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable.

“The current conflict might escalate and the worrying state of human rights protection in Ethiopia must be monitored closely. The role of our sister organisation in Ethiopia is key in documenting abuses and ensuring accountability, ” Eva Grambye, Deputy executive director, International Division of The Danish Institute for Human Rights, says.