Ethiopia: Human rights bodies failure to act as justice continues to elude victims of atrocities

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 Ethiopian soldiers, Amhara Special Forces, and militias entering towns with little resistance fired weapons and shot at civilians, including those attempting to flee.

Reacting to the continued failure to take meaningful steps by African and global human rights bodies since armed conflict erupted in Ethiopia’s Amhara region a year ago, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah said:

“Millions of Ethiopians are being denied justice despite having their lives shattered by conflict. Human rights violations have continued unabated, with no progress towards individual accountability, in the Amhara region since the latest armed conflict began a year ago. Reports of atrocities in the Tigray region, which first emerged three-and-a-half years ago, and abuses amid the ongoing prolonged armed conflict in Oromia have largely gone unaddressed. 

Human rights violations have continued unabated, with no progress towards individual accountability, in the Amhara region since the latest armed conflict began a year ago.

Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International's Regional Director for East and Southern Africa

“Despite claims of commitment to justice, mainly through so-called transitional justice mechanisms, Ethiopian authorities have failed to halt these violations. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s recent speech to parliament stating that his army does not commit massacres, demonstrates the government’s ongoing denial of past and present crimes.

“African and global human rights bodies were established to prevent and respond to gross human rights violations and crimes under international law, and to ensure those responsible for such crimes are held accountable – including by raising above attacks against Justice and accountability. What we have witnessed in Ethiopia is an utter failure to fulfill these duties, setting a dangerous global precedent that perpetrators can evade justice for international crimes.

It is long overdue for the African and global human rights bodies to bring Ethiopia back to their agenda, including setting up public and private engagements on the situation in the Amhara region.

Tigere Chagutah

“It is long overdue for the African and global human rights bodies to bring Ethiopia back to their agenda, including setting up public and private engagements on the situation in the Amhara region. United Nations (UN) member states must act to reinstate Human Rights Council scrutiny of the situation in Ethiopia and relevant UN and African Commission for Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) special mechanisms must take urgent steps to investigate alleged crimes in the Amhara region.”

Background

On 4 August 2023, the Ethiopian government declared a national six-month state of emergency following increased violence in the Amhara region between Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) and the Fano militia. The Fano militia and the Amhara Special Forces fought alongside the ENDF against Tigrayan forces from November 2020 until a Cessation of Hostilities agreement was signed on 2 November 2022.

Prime Minister Abiy addressed the Federal House of Representatives on 4 July 2024 where he denied ongoing and past mass atrocities committed by government and allied forces.

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