- HRW demands UN probe after Ethiopian army accused of war crimes
- Civilians targeted in deadly attack in Ethiopia’s Amhara region
- Ethiopian government urged to address army’s alleged violations
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has stated that earlier this year, in the northwestern Amhara region, the Ethiopian army “rapidly executed dozens of civilians” and committed additional war crimes. HRW has also demanded that the United Nations initiate an independent investigation.
The incident that occurred in late January in the city of Malawi was one of the deadliest for civilians since August, when combat broke out between Fano militia and Ethiopian federal forces in the volatile region, according to a report published on Thursday by a rights organisation based in New York.
“Once more, the brunt of an abusive army operating impunously is bearing down on civilians,” said Laetitia Bader, deputy Africa director at HRW.
“The brutal killings of civilians in Amhara by the Ethiopian armed forces undermined government claims that it is attempting to establish law and order in the region.”
The Ethiopian government and army did not immediately explain the incident. However, an independent inquiry carried out by the state-appointed Ethiopian Human Rights Commission approximated the number of casualties from government forces in Merawi to be at least 45.
HRW stated that it was incapable of ascertaining the precise number of civilian deaths in Merawi, adding that some accounts place the number at or above eighty.
The rights groups were informed by over a dozen witnesses, including family members and victims, regarding the purported violations committed by the army within the city.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) also analyzed and verified social media videos published after the January 29 attack and examined satellite imagery that supported witness testimonies.
The “pillage” of private property
HRW urged the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to preside over the investigation into the alleged violations.
Furthermore, it demanded that the African Union halt all peacekeeping deployments of Ethiopian federal forces until “commanders accountable for egregious violations are held accountable.”
“As per the armed conflict in Amhara, intentional killing or mistreatment of civilians, as well as looting and pillaging of civilian property, are proscribed by international humanitarian law and may face legal prosecution as war crimes,” HRW stated.
According to testimony gathered by HRW, in the six hours following the withdrawal of Fano combatants from Merawi in response to an Ethiopian assault, Ethiopian forces opened fire on civilians in the streets and during house raids.
HRW added, “The soldiers pillaged and destroyed civilian property as well.”
Additionally, several local inhabitants informed HRW that the lingering military in the town forbade the community from collecting and interring the deceased.
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Bader stated that the “failure” of the Ethiopian government to hold perpetrators accountable “contributes to ongoing cycles of violence and impunity.”
Early in February, the Ethiopian parliament extended a state of emergency implemented in Amhara, the second most populous region of the country, since August 2023.
In April of last year, Fano fighters participated in a week of violent demonstrations throughout Amhara following Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s order to integrate security forces from the eleven regions of Ethiopia into the police or national army.
Protesters believed the order was intended to weaken Amhara, the second-largest region in the nation. Federal authorities refuted this claim.
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