REFERENCE: ATROCITIES AGAINST CIVILIANS IN THE ETHIOPIA CRISIS

15 September 2021

H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat Chairperson, African Union CommissionAfrican Union Headquarters

P.O. Box 3243, Roosevelt Street W21K19 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Dear Chairperson,

REFERENCE: ATROCITIES AGAINST CIVILIANS IN THE ETHIOPIA CRISIS

 Your Excellency,

We, the undersigned, are organizations that work to promote the human rights of civilians in conflict and displacement. We write to urge the African Union to take a stronger role in responding to the current conflict in Ethiopia. Ten monthsafter the outbreak of war in Tigray, UNHCR reports an estimated 650,000 civilians have been displaced within the region and 120,000 have been forced into Sudan. Violent conflict has affected not only Tigrayans but other communities, including Somali, Afar, Amhara and Oromia as well as Eritrean refugees who had been sheltering in Tigray.

Your Excellency, our attention has been drawn to emerging reports of war crimes and crimes against humanity. We are alarmed by Prime Minister Abiy’s use of words such as “weeds”, “cancer” and “disease,” in describing the TPLF; words eerily reminiscent of the language in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Furthermore, we are deeply concerned thatthe TPLF chose not to observe the June ceasefire and that civilians report that TPLF soldiers are responsible for killings,widespread looting and the indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas. We also note with further concern reports by Amnesty International in August, of rape being used as a weapon of war. These reports have also been raised by the United Nation’s Office of the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Ms. Pramila Patten in her statement on January 21, 2021

Although we welcome the actions that have been taken by the African Union so far on the crisis,particularly in naming former President H.E Olusegun Obasanjo as Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa and authorizing an investigation of human rights abuses under the auspices of the African Commissionon Human and Peoples’ Rights, we believe that the African Union can do more. H.E. former PresidentObasanjo should:

• support a broad and inclusive political
• ensure that the response to the conflict, including the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights’ (ACHPR) Commission of Inquiry, have full institutional support. The AU should support the independence of the ACHPR Commission of Inquiry and urge the parties to theconflict to cooperate with
• engage in confidence building with all parties to the conflict, some of whom have accused theinstitution of bias, for an effective
• urge the relevant authorities to put in place measures to ensure that women and girls in theregion are protected from rape and sexual assault in line with Ethiopia’s human rights obligations. Through its member states on the council, the AU should push for UN support to its leading role in themediation. Throughout, the AU must accord the interests of the civilians caught up in the conflict thehighest priority.Yours Sincerely,

  African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies AfricanCourt Coalition

  Al Khatim Adlan Center for Enlightenment & Human Development (KACE) AtrocitiesWatch Africa

  Civil Society Forum for the Horn of Africa EastAfrican Law Society

  Equality Now

  Eritrean Movement for Democracy and Human Rights

  Foundation for Democracy and Accountable Governance (FODAG) International RefugeeRights Initiative

  Mouvement INAMAHORO, Femmes & Filles pour la Paix et la Securite Pan-African Lawyers Union

  Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa

  Find PDF version of the letter Here