Peace agreement must deliver justice to victims and survivors of conflict

Ethiopia: Peace agreement must deliver justice to victims and survivors of conflict

Responding to the signing of a peace agreement between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) following two years of brutal conflict, Muleya Mwananyanda, Amnesty International’s Director for East and Southern Africa, said:

“The signing of a peace agreement today is a step in the right direction, yet further strides must be taken to address the accountability deficit that has permeated the conflict since it began. All parties to the war have committed unspeakable abuses, including mass, extrajudicial executions and sexual violence against women and girls. These appalling crimes cannot simply be washed away.

“At present, the accord fails to offer a clear roadmap on how to ensure accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity, and overlooks rampant impunity in the country, which could lead to violations being repeated.

“To ensure justice for victims and survivors of atrocities, the Ethiopian authorities must allow unfettered access to human rights investigators, including the UN-mandated International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia. They must also provide humanitarian corridors so that the thousands of people facing starvation and medical emergencies can get the assistance they need.”

Background

The signing of the peace agreement on Wednesday follows a week of negotiations and two years of fighting. The armed conflict in Ethiopia pits forces aligned with Ethiopia’s federal government against those affiliated with Tigray’s regional government led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

Amid the conflict, millions of civilians have been displaced, while thousands of people have been killed due to ethnic violence. The region has been largely cut off from the outside world, and so humanitarian aid has also been denied to millions of people in Tigray.