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| Ethiopia's Tigray crisis: Report says war crimes may have been committed | Ethiopia's Tigray crisis: Report says war crimes may have been committed |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Thousands of people have been killed in the war | Thousands of people have been killed in the war |
| All sides in Ethiopia's Tigray conflict have violated international human rights, some of which may amount to crimes against humanity, a new report states. | All sides in Ethiopia's Tigray conflict have violated international human rights, some of which may amount to crimes against humanity, a new report states. |
| Extra-judicial executions, torture, rape, and attacks against refugees and displaced people were documented. | Extra-judicial executions, torture, rape, and attacks against refugees and displaced people were documented. |
| A joint investigation by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and the UN Human Rights Office said there could also be evidence of war crimes. | A joint investigation by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and the UN Human Rights Office said there could also be evidence of war crimes. |
| The war broke out on 4 November 2020. | The war broke out on 4 November 2020. |
| It started when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy ordered an offensive against regional forces in northern Tigray region. | It started when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy ordered an offensive against regional forces in northern Tigray region. |
| Government forces initially routed the rebels, but things changed in June with the Tigrayan fighters making significant territorial gains. They are now reportedly approaching the capital, Addis Ababa. | Government forces initially routed the rebels, but things changed in June with the Tigrayan fighters making significant territorial gains. They are now reportedly approaching the capital, Addis Ababa. |
| On Tuesday, the Ethiopian government declared a state of emergency hours after urging residents of the capital to arm themselves. | On Tuesday, the Ethiopian government declared a state of emergency hours after urging residents of the capital to arm themselves. |
| The war has created a humanitarian crisis. Thousands of people have been killed, millions displaced and hundreds of thousands in Tigray face famine conditions, according to aid organisations. | |
| Ethiopia's Tigray war: The short, medium and long story | Ethiopia's Tigray war: The short, medium and long story |
| Africa Live: Updates on this and other stories from the continent | Africa Live: Updates on this and other stories from the continent |
| How a massacre in the sacred city of Aksum unfolded | |
| UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said the conflict had been marked by extreme brutality and called for a lasting ceasefire. | UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said the conflict had been marked by extreme brutality and called for a lasting ceasefire. |
| "There are reasonable grounds to believe all parties to the conflict... either directly attacked civilians and civilian objects, such as houses, schools, hospitals, and places of worship, or carried out indiscriminate attacks resulting in civilian casualties and destruction or damage to civilian objects," the report states. | "There are reasonable grounds to believe all parties to the conflict... either directly attacked civilians and civilian objects, such as houses, schools, hospitals, and places of worship, or carried out indiscriminate attacks resulting in civilian casualties and destruction or damage to civilian objects," the report states. |
| Unlawful or extrajudicial killings and executions have also been recorded. | Unlawful or extrajudicial killings and executions have also been recorded. |
| The report details how a Tigrayan youth group known as Samri killed more than 200 ethnic Amhara civilians in Mai Kadra in November last year. Revenge killings were then committed against ethnic Tigrayans in the same town. | The report details how a Tigrayan youth group known as Samri killed more than 200 ethnic Amhara civilians in Mai Kadra in November last year. Revenge killings were then committed against ethnic Tigrayans in the same town. |
| The Eritrean army has joined the conflict fighting alongside the Ethiopian government forces. Eritrean soldiers killed more than 100 civilians in Aksum in central Tigray later in November 2020, the report says. | The Eritrean army has joined the conflict fighting alongside the Ethiopian government forces. Eritrean soldiers killed more than 100 civilians in Aksum in central Tigray later in November 2020, the report says. |
| "War crimes may have been committed since there are reasonable grounds to believe that persons taking no direct part in hostilities were wilfully killed by parties to the conflict," the report says. | "War crimes may have been committed since there are reasonable grounds to believe that persons taking no direct part in hostilities were wilfully killed by parties to the conflict," the report says. |
| It also cites cases of sexual violence including gang rape committed by both sides and targeting women, men, girls and boys. | It also cites cases of sexual violence including gang rape committed by both sides and targeting women, men, girls and boys. |
| In one incident a 19-year-old woman was detained and raped repeatedly for three months. A case of a woman with disability being sexually assaulted was also reported. | In one incident a 19-year-old woman was detained and raped repeatedly for three months. A case of a woman with disability being sexually assaulted was also reported. |
| The report says sexual violence was used "to degrade and dehumanise the victims". | |
| The organisations called on the Ethiopian government to conduct "thorough and effective investigations by independent and impartial bodies into allegations of violations and to hold those responsible accountable". | The organisations called on the Ethiopian government to conduct "thorough and effective investigations by independent and impartial bodies into allegations of violations and to hold those responsible accountable". |
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| The BBC's Catherine Byaruhanga gains special access to Ethiopia's Oromo Liberation Army, a secretive armed group | The BBC's Catherine Byaruhanga gains special access to Ethiopia's Oromo Liberation Army, a secretive armed group |
| Prime Minister Abiy said he ordered the military offensive last November in response to an attack on a military base housing government troops there. | Prime Minister Abiy said he ordered the military offensive last November in response to an attack on a military base housing government troops there. |
| The escalation came after months of feuding between Mr Abiy's government and leaders of the TPLF, which was the dominant political party in Tigray. | The escalation came after months of feuding between Mr Abiy's government and leaders of the TPLF, which was the dominant political party in Tigray. |
| The authorities later labelled the TPLF a terrorist organisation and ruled out any peace talks with them. | The authorities later labelled the TPLF a terrorist organisation and ruled out any peace talks with them. |
| The federal government's renewed ground offensive in recent weeks, including using airstrikes, has failed to halt the rebels' territorial gains. | The federal government's renewed ground offensive in recent weeks, including using airstrikes, has failed to halt the rebels' territorial gains. |
| In a statement on Wednesday, Mr Abiy said the government had "serious reservations" about aspects of the joint report but added that his government was "heartened" that the investigation did not establish the claim of genocide against Tigrayans and did not give any evidence that the government had wilfully denied humanitarian assistance to people in Tigray, as some reports have suggested. | |
| The spokesperson for the Tigray People Liberation Front said the report was "fraught with a number of problems," saying that the involvement of the EHRC was an "affront to the notion of impartiality". | |
| More on the Tigray crisis: | More on the Tigray crisis: |
| ANALYSIS: How the West has fallen out with Ethiopia | ANALYSIS: How the West has fallen out with Ethiopia |
| VIEWPOINT: Why Tigray is starving, but no famine declared | VIEWPOINT: Why Tigray is starving, but no famine declared |
| PROFILE: The Nobel Peace Prize winner who went to war | PROFILE: The Nobel Peace Prize winner who went to war |