(By Nebiyou 02.21.2023)
The International Community has been calling for investigations of the alleged human rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Tigray since the outbreak of the Tigray war on 4 November 2020.
The UN Human Rights Council in its 33rd special session of 17 December 2021 on the grave human rights situation in Ethiopia, established the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE) ‘’to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into allegations of violations and abuses of international human rights law and violations of international humanitarian law and refugee law in Ethiopia committed since 3 November 2020 by all parties to the conflict.’’
The Ethiopian government vehemently opposed the draft resolution to establish the ICHREE and unsuccessfully moved to block its adoption by the Council.
Attempts by Ethiopia to block UN resolutions
The frantic attempts by the Ethiopian Government to block the UN Agency’s resolutions was not limited to 17 December 2021’s S-33/1. The government’s diplomats have vehemently tried to oppose subsequent resolutions passed in Geneva and New York regarding the investigation of the alleged grave human rights violations and horrific crimes committed in spite of the fact that the investigation is aimed at all alleged violations and abuses committed by all sides to the conflict.
On March 31, 2022, Ethiopia failed to block the United Nations from funding the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia. Ethiopia yet again tried everything in its power to undermine the call by the International Community and the demand of the millions of victims for accountability for the alleged crimes (war crimes, crimes against humanity) and once again seeking support from members to defund the Commission.
Again, Ethiopia unsuccessfully tried to block the Human Rights Council resolution (51/27) of 07 October 2022 to renew the mandate of the ICHREE for a further period of one year. In the same manner, attempts by Ethiopia failed to block the UN General Assembly’s resolution to fund the work of the International Commission.
The Ethiopian government is creating all kinds of obstacles with the aim of denying access to the ICHREE and support for its work in Tigray and neighbouring regions. In fact, it has made it clear that it refuses to cooperate with the Commission.
The case of the Ostrich hiding its head in the sand
All the attempt by the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments and Amhara Regional State, has been to deny that any human rights abuses or crimes have been committed in Tigray during the conflict. Eritrea’s Esaias Afeworki has not only denied that his forces have committed horrific crimes in Tigray but also that his military has not been involved in the war in Tigray.
The hundreds of thousands of Special Force, the Militia and Fano of neighbouring Amhara region have committed and are still committing human rights abuses and various crimes on civilians in Tigray. Over two years since the invasion of Tigray, the Amhara elites and their government still deny the atrocities their forces carried out against the civilian population of Tigray. In fact, these elites have been trying to make it look like it was Amhara civilians that have been the victims of Tigray defence forces.
In the era of satellite imagery and very strong multisource international media, non-government organizations, social media and various other outlets, very little can permanently be hidden from the international arena. Even the criminal act of the complete siege on Tigray, in which telephone and internet services were shut down, and the innumerable instances of government lies and deceptions, could not hinder the heinous crimes committed in Tigray from being exposed. The attempt to cover up the crimes is like the behaviour of the Ostrich that hoped to protect itself by burying its head in the sand.
Logic turned upside down
Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen has in his speech at the February 2023 42nd Ordinary Session of the Executive Council meeting of the African Union in Addis Ababa solicited African countries not to support the call by the International Community for Ethiopia to grant access to the Independent UN Human Rights experts to conduct their UN mandated task of investigating the alleged human rights violations in the Tigray region and adjacent regions. The reason given by the Deputy Prime Minister is that this will have a negative impact on the African Union led Pretoria peace deal and his country’s justice system. Again, it is clear that this is another attempt to avoid accountability.
If indeed, as has been claimed, the Ethiopian government was serious about ensuring accountability in regards to the human rights violations and crimes committed in Tigray and other places, why should it be afraid of the work of an independent international team of investigators? The truth is there has been nothing visible that the Ethiopian government has been doing in this matter. Nor can it be expected to indict itself for genocide. The so-called Ethiopian Human Rights Commission is a government agency that has all along demonstrated its support for the Ethiopia government through denying, or under- or selective-reporting, of human rights violations.
Both the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments are trying hard to undermine the issue of accountability. They are lobbying African and other countries to vote against the mission of the ICHREE. In his opening speech at the AU Executive Council meeting mentioned above, Demeke Mekonnen has also said his government is once again going to put to the UN a motion that the UN established ICHREE be scrapped. Clearly, this is an insult to the integrity of the United Nations General Assembly and its agency the Human Rights Council, as an important tenet of its establishment being the respect and protection of human rights in all countries.
Avoiding future genocides in Africa
Numerous instances of various kinds of human rights violations and crimes (summary killings, massacres, rape, ethnic cleansing, etc) affecting millions have happened and are happening in Africa. In nearly all cases, fettered by its Charter that underlines the importance of the sovereignty of member states and non-interference in their internal affairs, the AU did nothing to prevent the atrocities and particularly the genocide that occurred in Rwanda (1994) and Darfur (2003), while on the ground the inevitability of the crimes happening were not difficult to see. The International Community, including the AU and individual African countries, failed to effectively respond to the genocide that took place in Rwanda. Very bad history for Africa and the world.
Many intellectuals, researchers, civil societies and human rights advocacy groups, had hoped that after Rwanda and Darfur, Africa has had its lessons and would not witness another genocide on its soil. Sadly, it has been happening yet again in Tigray, Ethiopia, since November, 2020, and continues unabated as Eritrean and Amhara forces unleash hell in the still occupied Tigray territories.
The stark reality is that, if the African Union continues to treat grave human rights violations and related crimes happening at national or sub-national levels as internal affairs of a member country, there is no guarantee that Africa will be free from instances of gross human rights violations, war crims and crimes against humanity. So, which African country will ‘’be hosting’’ the next sad event of grave human rights violations or genocide!? No! This kind of attitude must stop. Human rights violations must be investigated and no culprits should be allowed to go scot free.
UN’s and AU’s responsibilities
It behoves each African member country’s institutions of democracy, higher education, the media, civil societies and human rights advocacy groups, etc to stand for the respect and protection of peoples from human rights violations and related crimes. The African Union and African countries must not be instruments for assisting dictators to suppress democratic rights and to carry out atrocities for the sole reason of staying in power in the name of national unity and territorial integrity, which are not actually the underlying issues in most conflicts. African countries must stand for the protection of people against human rights violations, and must not be deceived by leaders who shed crocodile’s tears having already committed crimes. The respect of human rights is one the most crucial corner stones for building a democratic system in Africa and emancipating it from backwardness and poverty.
The UN has the overall responsibility of preventing grave human rights violations and bringing to justice the perpetrators when they do happen. The establishment of the ICREE is of paramount importance to the millions of victims of human rights violations and war crimes and crimes against humanity that happened in Tigray. The UN and its agency the Human Rights Council should stick to their just resolve regarding the investigation by the ICHREE and reject, as they have repeatedly done so far, Ethiopia’s attempts at blocking resolutions. The UN and the AU must cooperate in the important task of ensuring, among others, the respect of human rights and the protection of people against massacres, mass rape, etc.
Tigrayan diaspora and all advocates of human rights
The Tigrayan diaspora and all people that stand for human rights, as voices of the millions of voiceless victims, should come out in full force to urge the UN and its agency the Human Rights Council to stick to their decision to send the International Commission of Human Rights Experts into Ethiopia and press hard on Ethiopia to allow them access to Tigray and adjacent regions to do their UN mandated task of investigating the alleged human rights violations, war crimes and crime against humanity. Unattended gross human rights violations happening in one country today means allowing them to take place anytime in the future in any other country of the world. Surely, the world’s champions of democracy and human rights will not let this happen.
For the Tigray diaspora communities all over the world, it’s crystal clear that its most important task today is using all means possible, to fight against all the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments’ attempts to reverse the UN decision on human rights violations in Ethiopia. Their criminal lobbying must be aborted by counter appeals to countries and agencies concerned. Only through ensuring accountability can there be sustainable peace and stability in Ethiopia and indeed in the Horn of Africa as a whole.
The peace talks and the permanent cessation of hostilities agreement reached in Pretoria must not be a reason for abandoning the issue of accountability and the need for independent investigations into alleged crimes. Indeed, there cannot be any doubt that the latter will crucially augment the success of the peace talks themselves. This can also be a good lesson for the whole continent of Africa showing clearly the importance of the respect for human rights as enshrined in the Africa Charter. Therefore, the Tigray diaspora community and all supporter of the Tigray cause must double their efforts to ensure accountability and to keep the pressure on the Ethiopian government to allow the International Commission of Human Rights Experts to conduct their UN-mandated investigation work in Tigray.
I suggest Tigreans do justice to themselves by working on it themselves instead of waiting to get justice from another humans who deliberately participated themselves in the Tigray genocide eg UN, AU, USA, are part of the crime done in Tigray. So to expect justice from these is a joke of the century.
If only the Tigray leadership listened to reason when it was begged on bended knees not to ignite a war. If only, the Tigrayan hoarde that slithered into Amhara and Afar did not commit atrocities and human right abuses including the killing of innocent civilians without regard to age and gender. If only the Tigrayan hoarde did not desecrate places of worship angering both christians and muslims of Ethiopia. If only the Tigrayan hoarde did not commit untold atrocities on Eritrean civilians back in 2000. If only the Tigrayan hoarde did not engineer its’ western masters to sanction and punish the Eritrean people. If only, the Tigrayan hoarde did not commit genocide, wanton killings and humiliation of Amharas for 27 years. You would not be where you are today. Nothing happens in a vacuum. Reaction occurs because of an action. You need to ask yourselves – “what did we do to receive such deep and rancid hatred?” Crying “genocide” because you miscalculated your military might and had your legs and arms chopped off and your eyes put out is not going to get you anywhere. The world knows you started the war. You may be America’s favorite house negroes but there is a limit to what your white masters can do for you. Also, because of በላይነሽ አመዴ the most beautiful woman in the world, there is now 1 million less of you. Try to do some self reflection and repent for your misdeeds. If you continue to go down this path of self-bestowed and misguided superiority and disregard and disdain for Ethiopians, the remaining 5 million of you may become extinct.