In Ethiopia, the Human Rights Commission, independent but linked to the federal authorities, expresses “its deep concern” over the situation of civilians in the Tigray region and calls for “urgent measures to ensure their safety and security”, in a rare press release published on Saturday 3 July . This institution, which is currently conducting investigations with the UN on crimes committed during the war, this time places several strong demands on the government by provoking the latest violations of human rights in Ethiopia, against a background of war with connotations.
The statement on Ethiopian human rights comes at a critical moment in the country’s history. Tigray has largely escaped the control of the federal army after eight months of deadly war. And the public positions taken by this institution are always rare and calculated.
In its press release on Saturday, this commission announces itself to the warriors, albeit in hidden words. “The commitment to a ceasefire from all parties to the conflict,” she said in particular, “(…) is one of the critical steps needed to improve the situation.” By suggesting that it, like the UN, also calls on the Tigrayan uprising to take part in ending the fighting ordered by the government, which the uprising refuses at the moment.
The Commission, led by Daniel Bekele, a former Human Rights Watch chief, also reminded the government that “safety and security for civilians must be a priority” for it. She is concerned about reports of “telecommunications and waterways in the Tigray, in areas already severely affected by the lack of healthcare systems and banking services”.
The Commission also refers to the arrests of journalists and Tigray civilians in the capital Addis Ababa and stresses that “such measures exacerbate public concern about the risk of ethnic profiling”.
This crisis is likely to swallow up the region if it is not contained
Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees
► To read also:In Ethiopia, the humanitarian situation in Tigray is of great concern
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