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Geneva – Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, called on Friday for a comprehensive investigation into possible war crimes in Ethiopia, following reports of a massacre of civilians in the Tigray region.
“If it is confirmed that one of the parties to the current conflict did this intentionally, these killings of civilians would, of course, be war crimes,” Bachelet said, calling for “full responsibility.”
Ethiopia’s central government launched a military operation in the Tigray region (north) last week, accusing the ruling Tigray People’s Liberation Front in the region of attacking military bases.
And Amnesty International said on Thursday that dozens of civilians were killed by forces supporting the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, which it deemed the accusations “void”.
Bachelet expressed concern over reports of power and water supply cuts, and called on the parties to start peace talks, saying “there will be no winner” if the fighting continues.
“A protracted internal conflict will inflict devastating damage on both Tigray and Ethiopia as a whole, and will end years of vital progress in development,” he said.
“It could also easily spread across the border, which could destabilize the entire sub-Saharan region,” he added.
In light of continued fighting and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s negligence in international calls aimed at halting his military campaign in Tigray, the European Commission on Friday warned of a humanitarian disaster there.
“The military escalation in Ethiopia threatens the stability of the entire country and the region,” said Janez Linarkic, the European Union Commissioner for Crisis Management, adding that the threat of the spread of violence is very real and I fear that This crisis will have serious humanitarian consequences for the entire country.
The European Commissioner stated that even before the crisis, around three million citizens in Tigray and 15 million people throughout the country were dependent on humanitarian aid, and also pointed to the 100,000 refugees received by Ethiopia.
“If the conflict spreads regionally, it will also lead to large waves of immigration to Europe,” said Annette Weber, an Ethiopian affairs expert at the Foundation for Science and Politics in Berlin, adding that “among other things, there is a risk to destabilize neighboring Sudan again. ” “.
Weber expressed the grave concern of all observers in the region, noting that no one expects Abiy Ahmed to win the war.
