A new report by the Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia indicates that the Ethiopian government is responsible for ongoing crimes against humanity in the northern Tigray region.
The experts detailed what it referred to as credible information of large-scale killings committed by Ethiopia’s national defence force, that targeted Tigrayan men and boys of fighting age.
Investigators say there is also evidence that starvation is being deployed as a weapon of war.
The report says human rights violations have been committed by all sides since fighting erupted nearly two years ago. In a statement, commission chair Kaari Betty Murungi described the humanitarian situation in Tigray as “shocking, both in terms of scale and duration.” The government is yet to respond to the allegations.
A Tigrayan spokesman said they had “always maintained” that Ethiopia’s government was responsible for crimes against humanity in the region. Tigrayan authorities have welcomed the report.
Experts warn that the recent escalation of the conflict after a five-month ceasefire deems the chances of peace and deepens the risk of more atrocities.