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In Ethiopia, the conflict in the north has been going on since November. By the end of three weeks, the federal government had declared victory, but the fighting continued. The war has claimed thousands of lives. But rapes are also very numerous. Report in one of the only centers in Tigray that handles cases of sexual violence. Onestop center, in Mekele, the regional capital.
Azadamar chats with Onestop employees. A 45-year-old farmer was cooking at home when three federal army soldiers attacked her a month ago. She sucks her throat and says: “The soldiers accused me of being the mother of rebels. They kept my family out and then raped me one by one in the house. They hit the genitals and stomach. It lasted for four hours. My body and mind were broken. I hid the truth from my children. Raped women cannot speak otherwise society will reject them. Others suffered the same fate. It is a strategy. The army wants us to stop being fertile. They fear that our future children will take revenge. “
Azadamara received psychological support. She underwent urine tests, blood tests, screening for sexually transmitted diseases. She is far from the only victim. Sister Mulu created One Stop a year and a half ago. Today, the center can no longer cope with the influx.
“With the war, we went from 30 to 200 people per month. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. For a month, the cases have been even more serious. With gang rapes and objects inserted into the genitals. These women arrive in a very unstable state. Some are injured after being raped by 40 or 50 soldiers. I have never seen such a tragedy. We are exhausted. We need more space and more medicine, she explains.
One Stop also handles protection in the city where about forty people who are very fragile or potentially in danger can stay for several months. But the patient flow never stops. Social worker, Hira tries to give comfort to the victims. “The survivors are injured. I encourage them to express themselves. And we are preparing a project that can help them. Sometimes I cry with them. It’s very stressful. I’m on my way home. So it’s a difficult task. ”
One Stop has nine employees, including police and lawyers, so that investigations can be initiated. Hadas is the prosecutor. She fights for the culprits to be punished one day, even if she does not have too many illusions. “The judiciary has collapsed. But we are collecting medical evidence, testimonies, so that one day we can hold the government and the military accountable. Our capacity is limited. We do not have the identity of the criminals. We do not know which group they belong to. They rape in one place and go elsewhere the next day. We feel worthless, she regrets.
For the first time, at the end of May, the prosecutor announced the indictment for four soldiers and added that 53 soldiers were under investigation. According to observers, this is far too little.
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