Source: IPIS Briefing September 2021

The IPIS briefing offers a selection of articles, news and updates on natural resources, armed conflict, Business & Human Rights and arms trade. Every month, an editorial and related publications shed a light on a specific topic in IPIS’ areas of research.

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State-Sponsored Cover-Up of the War on Tigray | September 30, 2021 | OmnaTigray

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration continues to deny the ongoing genocide, weaponized rape, systematic killings, and the deliberate denial of basic needs that have occured since November 2020. Such denial, which is characteristic of perpetrators of genocide, as well as the complete blackout imposed on Tigray has made it nearly impossible to accurately report the impact of the genocidal war and the true severity humanitarian crisis in Tigray. His efforts to cover-up the atrocities in Tigray have exacerbated the suffering of Tigrayans.

7 UN officials told to leave country within 72 hours | September 30, 2021 | A news

The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a tweet that five members of the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, including senior leaders, were being ordered out of the country, as well as the UN Children’s Fund UNICEF Representative, and a team leader from the UN human rights office, OHCHR.

Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes in Ethiopia: TPLF, OLF and Abiy Ahmed | September 29, 2021 | Borkena

TPLF’s cruel and inhuman massacres and slaughtering of thousands of innocent civilians: women, children and the elderly and others in both Afar and Amhara regions including in Mai-Kadra have been well-documented and independently verified and confirmed by a number of international organizations and media outlets. Moreover, there are also recent reports of the terrorist group’s instigation of hunger and starvations in the more than four million people that the group has been holding hostage in the Amhara region.

Ethiopia’s Tigray crisis: Why are hundreds of aid trucks stranded? | September 27, 2021 | BBC

With concern mounting about the food situation in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, there are conflicting claims about why supply trucks are stuck there, unable to transport further crucial supplies.

Witnesses accuses Tigray fighters of Kobo killings | September 25, 2021 | Al Jazeera

One man said he counted 55 corpses as he escaped from his town in northern Ethiopia, stepping over bodies scattered in the streets. Another asserted he was rounded up with about 20 men who were shot in front of him. Yet others claimed Tigray forces went door-to-door killing men and teenage boys.

Hate Speech and the Tigray Genocide | September 24, 2021 | OmnaTigray

Hate speech, dehumanizing metaphors, and outright calls for the eradication of Tigrayans have contributed to the genocide and widespread ethnic cleansing of Tigrayans throughout Ethiopia. “To catch the fish, you must drain the sea,” is an example of a widely known phrase used by Ethiopian state-sponsored media against Tigrayans. Consistent dehumanization of a group of people, especially by government officials who are trusted and in the position to protect their citizens, can be a catalyst in making people feel justified in their violent hate and actions towards that group of people.

The Rise and Rise of Fascism in Ethiopia | September 24, 2021 | African Arguments

Since November 4, 2020, Ethiopia is embroiled in a horrific civil war bearing the hallmarks of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and man-made famine. Underneath this grisly reality lies an appalling politics of hate that was deployed in full-scale and is currently permeating the social, political and cultural facets of the country. In her insightful book, Fascism: A Warning, former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright cautions us to be wary of leaders who sow fear and anger and not to be tempted to give away freedoms, or the freedom of others, to leaders promising law and order.

Atrocity Alert No. 271: Ethiopia, Burundi and Philippines | September 23, 2021 | GCR2P | ReliefWeb

Last week at an event in the Amhara region of Ethiopia, Daniel Kibret, an influential political adviser to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, gave an inflammatory speech targeting the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the former ruling party of the Tigray region. Kibret said that, “they should be erased… from historical records. A person who wants to study them should find nothing about them. Maybe he can find out about them by digging in the ground. ” According to the UN Secretary-General, since armed conflict started in Tigray last November, an alarming rise in inflammatory rhetoric and ethnic profiling has been “tearing apart the social fabric of the country.”

Tigray war antagonists are reluctant to talk peace: why and what’s next | September 23, 2021 | The Conversation

It is almost a year since the war in Ethiopia’s northern state of Tigray broke out. It all begun with a “pre-emptive strike” on the North Command of the federal army by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front on the 4 November 2020. The central government responded with what it described as a brief “surgical operation” to bring to justice the Front’s leadership. Since then, the war has expanded outside Tigray to Afar and Amhara regional states.

These old images do not show recent protests in Ethiopia’s Tigray region | September 22, 2021 | AFP Check

Several images of protests have been circulating on Facebook in Ethiopia alongside claims that they show recent demonstrations against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front in the region’s capital, Mekele. This is false. There are no reports of recent protests; AFP Fact Check found that four of the photos are old or from unrelated events, and was unable to source a fifth photo’s provenance.

Biden-⁠Harris Administration Actions in Response to Ongoing Crisis in Northern Ethiopia | September 17, 2021 | The White House

Today, President Biden is taking further steps to respond to the ongoing conflict in northern Ethiopia. This conflict has sparked one of the worst humanitarian and human rights crises in the world, with over 5 million people requiring humanitarian assistance and nearly one million living in famine-like conditions.

Eritrean Refugees Targeted in Tigray | September 16, 2021 | HRW

Eritrean government forces and Tigrayan militias have committed killings, rape, and other serious abuses against Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, Human Rights Watch said today. All warring parties should cease attacks against refugees, stay out of refugee camps, and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.

What Tigray portends: the future of peace and security in Africa | September 13, 2021 | War on the Rocks

Two years ago, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stood on the stage in Stockholm to accept the Nobel Peace Prize. Now, he oversees a brutal civil war in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Abiy recently called the conflict a case where “the weed is being removed from our country.” This genocidal language follows a ten-month campaign characterized by acts of ethnic cleansing, sexual violence, and man-made famine.

Multiple reports of alleged human rights violations in Tigray | September 13, 2021 | A

UN human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet on Monday deplored “multiple and severe reports of alleged gross violations of human rights, humanitarian and refugee law” committed by all parties to the conflict in Tigray.

Ongoing Conflict and Human Rights Abuses in Northern Ethiopia | September 10, 2021 | US Department of State

The United States remains gravely concerned by ongoing conflict in multiple regions of Ethiopia. Reports of continued human rights abuses and atrocities by the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, the Eritrean Defense Forces, Amhara regional and irregular forces, the TPLF and other armed groups, including the reported attack on civilians in one village in Amhara region this week, are deeply disturbing. We condemn all such abuses against civilians in the strongest possible terms and call on all parties to the conflict to respect human rights and comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law.

Joint UN, EHRC investigation on Tigray concludes field work phase, final report due on Nov. 01 | September 10, 2021 | Addis Standard

The joint investigation by the UN Human Rights Office and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) into alleged violations of human rights, humanitarian and refugee law committed by all parties to the conflict in Tigray has concluded its field work phase, with a final report to be published on 1 November 2021.

Men are marched out of prison camps. Then corpses float down the river | September 10, 2021 | CNN

The ghostly outlines of limbs emerge through the mist along the Setit River in eastern Sudan. As the river’s path narrows, the drifting bodies become wedged on the silty clay bank and their forms appear more clearly; men, women, teenagers and even children.

At scene of Ethiopia’s new killings, some fight, some fle e | September 10, 2021 | The Associated Press

The smell of death lingered for days after the killings. The bodies, more than a dozen in the uniforms of fighters, others in civilian clothing, were still scattered on the muddy ground.

In Ethiopia, the conflict threatens to spill over into the Oromo region | September 8, 2021 | The world

The rebels in the country’s most populous province have gained visibility since their agreement with the Tigrayan insurgency. An alliance that calls for the overthrow of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Ethiopia: Tigray rebels categorically deny killing civilians | September 8, 2021 | Mediapart

Ethiopian Region Accuses Tigray Forces of Killing Civilians | September 8, 2021 | Bloomberg

Tigrayan rebels on Wednesday denied allegations that they killed dozens of civilians in early September in Amhara, a region of northern Ethiopia swept over in recent months by the conflict raging in neighboring Tigray.

UN footage from northern Ethiopia shows humanitarian crisis | September 7, 2021 | Reuters

Footage of war-hit northern Ethiopia published by the UN World Food Program (WFP) on Monday reflected the severe humanitarian crisis there, after the United Nations warned that a de facto blockade on aid is bringing millions to the brink of famine.

Tigray: Women and girls bear significant costs of Ethiopian conflict | September 3, 2021 | UNFPA | ReliefWeb

Since conflict between federal and regional forces erupted in Tigray in north Ethiopia last November, some 2 million Tigrayans have been displaced with thousands fleeing to surrounding countries like Sudan. Not only has fighting not been contained, it has spread to neighboring regions like Amhara and Afar.

Why the Tigray rebels have been able to stand up to the Ethiopian army since fall 2020 | September 3, 2021 | Franceinfo

While Ethiopia has “one of the most operational armies in sub-Saharan Africa”, it cannot overcome the Tigray Defense Forces. Researcher François Lafargue gives us his explanations in The Conversation.

Tigray dispatch: “How do you expect to stop war crimes with a request?” | September 1, 2021 | African Arguments

I was lucky to get a data connection in Mekelle today, which enabled me to learn about reactions to political developments in Ethiopia. Getting a connection has become a rare luxury for almost ten months now, as Addis Ababa has cut Tigray out of all available infrastructure – from telecoms, to the electric grid, roads, and banking services – as it has used isolation as a weapon of its war.

Ethiopia’s Tigray rebels looting aid warehouses: USAID | 31 August 2021 | AhramOnline

Rebels in Ethiopia’s war-torn Tigray region have been looting aid warehouses, the US aid agency said Tuesday, calling the alleged thefts a “great concern for humanitarians”.

The Rise of the Tigray Defense Forces (TDF) | 28 August 2021 | OmnaTigray

When Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declared war on Tigray in November 2020, the people and government of Tigray were caught by surprise. The unexpectedly gruesome war turned their lives into hell on earth in a matter of weeks

Source: IPIS Briefing June/July 2021

The IPIS briefing offers a selection of articles, news and updates on natural resources, armed conflict, Business & Human Rights and arms trade. Every month, an editorial and related publications shed a light on a specific topic in IPIS’ areas of research. 

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Ethiopia accuses international community of ‘double standards’ in Tigray conflict | 29 July 2021 | The East African

The Ethiopian government on Wednesday accused the international community of responding with “dead silence” to belligerence by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

Ethiopia’s Amhara state rallies youth to fight Tigrayan forces as war widens | 25 July 2021 | Reuters

Ethiopia’s Amhara region on Sunday called on “all young people” to take up arms against forces from the neighbouring region of Tigray, who claimed to have taken over a town in Amhara for the first time since the conflict began.

Tigray Defence Forces Commander says Addis Ababa within reach | 25 July 2021 | Daily News Egypt

Commander of Tigray Defence Forces (TDF) General Tsadkan Gebretensae has said that they could march to Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa with no real opposition.

Widening Ethiopia Conflict Displaces Tens of Thousands of People | 21 July 2021 | Bloomberg

A widening conflict in northern Ethiopia displaced tens of thousands of people, after fighting spread from the Tigray region to neighboring Afar state, a government official said.

Ethiopia’s Tigray forces enter neighbouring Afar region, Afar says | 19 July 2021 | Reuters

Forces from Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region have mounted attacks in neighbouring Afar region, a spokesman for Afar said on Monday, marking an expansion of an eight-month-old conflict into a previously untouched area.

Ethiopia’s PM Abiy vows to crush TPLF ‘once and for all’ | 19 July 2021 | The East African

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Sunday vowed to wipe out the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a group that was once the country’s ruling party, but which Addis Ababa now considers a terrorist movement.

Ethiopia’s Tigray forces say they freed 1,000 captured soldiers | 18 July 2021 | Reuters

Forces in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region have released around 1,000 government soldiers captured during recent fighting, the head of its ruling party said, as both sides prepared for a showdown over contested land in the west of the region.

Could the Tigray Defense Force Invade Eritrea? | 17 July 2021 | The National Interest

Should the Tigray Defense Forces enter Eritrea or, more likely, organize and support Eritrean opposition forces, the Eritrean government may find that this conscript army will dissolve and defect.

A legal solution to Ethiopia’s military problems in and around Tigray | 16 July 2021 | Ethiopia Insight

The armed conflict that broke out on 3 November 2020 between, primarily, the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) and the armed forces of the Tigray Regional Government has resulted in an immeasurable loss, injury, and damage to all parties.

Three more regions reinforce Ethiopia army, Amhara against Tigray forces | 16 July 2021 | Reuters

Three more Ethiopian regions are sending soldiers to reinforce the national army in its fight against forces from the northern region of Tigray, regional officials said, widening a conflict that has so far largely affected the north.

Ethiopia’s Tigray crisis: Fleeing for fear of new ethnic conflict | 16 July 2021 | BBC

Almost every night, a handful of young men slip across the well-guarded border, swimming across a fast-flowing brown river and trudging into Sudan to escape what they say is a sudden upsurge in ethnic violence in the far western corner of Ethiopia’s Tigray region.

Éthiopie: la reprise des combats au Tigré fait planer le spectre d’une guerre d’indépendance | 15 July 2021 | Le Figaro

Depuis plusieurs semaines la contre-offensive menée par les Forces de défense du Tigré (FDT) leur a permis de reprendre le contrôle d’une large partie de la région. Le mardi 13 juillet, Getachew Reda, leur porte-parole, a annoncé à l’AFP la prise de la ville d’Alamata. «Hier, nous avons lancé une offensive dans la région de Raya (sud du Tigré) et nous sommes parvenus à mettre en déroute les divisions des forces de défense fédérales et des forces amhara », souligne-t-il. Le lendemain, le premier ministre éthiopien, Abiy Ahmed, a, lui, promis de «repousser les attaques» des «ennemis internes et externes », dans un communiqué publié sur Twitter.

‘We won’t back down’: Ethnic militias rush to Tigray border | 15 July 2021 | France24

When war broke out last year in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, Solomon Alabachew acted fast, grabbing his Kalashnikov and rushing to the front with his fellow ethnic Amhara militia fighters.

Ethiopia Accuses Aid Groups of ‘Arming’ Tigray Fighters | 15 July 2021 | Associated Press | US News

Ethiopia’s government has accused humanitarian aid groups working in its war-hit Tigray region of “arming” Tigray fighters and threatened to halt some groups’ operations there.

Ethiopian regulator suspends Addis Standard news website | 15 July 2021 | Reuters

Ethiopia’s media regulator said it had suspended the news website The Addis Standard on Thursday and accused it of advancing the agenda of a terrorist group.

Hundreds of Tigrayans detained in Ethiopian capital in recent weeks, witnesses say | 15 July 2021 | Reuters

Ethiopian police have detained hundreds of ethnic Tigrayans in Addis Ababa since federal government forces lost control of the Tigray region’s capital on June 28, according to some of those who say they were released.

Ethiopia conflict heats up as Amhara region vows to attack Tigray forces | 15 July 2021 | Reuters

Ethiopia’s war in the northern region of Tigray looked set to intensify on Wednesday as the prime minister signalled the end of a government ceasefire and the neighbouring Amhara region said it would go on the offensive against Tigrayan forces.

Ethiopia’s Tigray Conflict Deepens as Abiy Cease-Fire Fails | 14 July 2021 | Bloomberg

The northern Ethiopia conflict may be headed for a dangerous turn after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s unilateral cease-fire failed and he backed calls to resist Tigray forces advancing to retake territory.

Tigray rebels say they capture main town, push south and west | 13 July 2021 | Reuters

Rebels in Ethiopia’s Tigray region said on Tuesday they had recaptured a main town from rival forces and were pushing to take back more territory.

U.S. condemns retaliatory attacks against civilians in Ethiopia’s Tigray region | 13 July 2021 | Reuters

The United States is gravely concerned about reports of hostilities in Ethiopia’s Tigray and condemns any retaliatory attacks against civilians in the region, a State Department spokesman said on Monday.

Tigray forces push south as Amhara militias mobilise | 13 July 2021 | Reuters

Forces in Ethiopia’s Tigray pushed deeper into land claimed by neighbouring Amhara region on Tuesday, prompting its leaders – allies of the central government – to urge local militia to arm themselves and mobilise.

En Éthiopie, le viol collectif vicieux des femmes est devenu une arme contre le Tigré dans la guerre civile | 12 July 2021 | Global Voices

Il est difficile de choisir l’histoire la plus troublante de la guerre civile en cours dans la région du Tigré en Éthiopie. Il y a cette histoire d’une femme de 40 ans qui a été violée à plusieurs reprises par un groupe de 15 soldats érythréens et abandonnée au bord d’une route. Il y a aussi l’histoire d’une femme de 34 ans qui a été violée par quatre militaires amhara et une tige de métal chaud a été insérée dans ses organes génitaux pour brûler son utérus. Et puis il y a l’histoire d’une femme de 65 ans qui a été forcée de regarder ses deux filles être violées par un groupe de soldats et battues devant elle.

Amhara troops attacking Tigray people in Humera and Alamata | 10 July 2021 | GaroweOnline

The conflict in Tigray could be far from over despite the declaration of a ceasefire, Garowe Online has learnt, due to ongoing antagonism within the region, mainly targeting the Tigrayan community which lives in northern Ethiopia.

Rebel victories in Tigray are a watershed moment for Ethiopia | 9 July 2021 | TimesNow

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front’s control over Tigray poses an existential threat to Isaias Afwerki, Eritrea’s authoritarian President.

Ethiopian conflict and international law | 7 July 2021 | Black Star News

I spoke to legal scholar Francis A. Boyle, who said that a “Responsibility-to-Protect” intervention in Ethiopia would be illegal and catastrophic.

Blinken calls for indefinite ceasefire in call with Ethiopia’s Abiy | 7 July 2021 | DefenceWeb

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Tuesday, stressing the need for all parties to commit to an immediate and indefinite ceasefire in the northern Tigray region, the State Department said.

Ethiopia’s Looming Catastrophe | 7 July 2021 | Bloomberg

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed erred disastrously last November in launching a war against his own people in the northern Tigray region. He has a chance to reverse his mistake, and he needs to seize it.

Hundreds of Women and Girls Brutalized by Soldiers in Tigray War (video) | 7 July 2021 | VoA

Hundreds of women and girls in Ethiopia’s Tigray region have reported brutal rapes at the hands of soldiers in a war that is still ongoing, despite last week’s government troop withdrawal. As VOA’s Heather Murdock reports from Mekelle, the rape victims who come forward say they are only a small percentage of the women and girls who have been brutalized.

Tigray rebel chief calls for political solution to conflict in Ethiopia | 6 July 2021 | Reuters

The commander of rebel forces in Tigray on Tuesday called for a negotiated ceasefire with the Ethiopian government and a political solution to the conflict in the northern region, saying the government could not win the war.

Tigray forces mobilise against militias from neighbouring province | 6 July 2021 | The Guardian

Insurgent forces in Tigray are mobilising for new conflict against militia from a neighbouring province in Ethiopia, with thousands of new volunteers joining their ranks after federal forces withdrew following more than eight months of war.

Incestuous Relationship Between Western Politics And Western Media: Case Of Ethiopian Conflict | 6 July 2021 | Eurasia Review

Let’s face it: Ethiopia is at a crossroads, unsure if it will continue to exist as a coherent nation-state or if it will crumble into a collection of regions that variously fight each other or the rump leftovers of the central government. Two big words are knocking on Ethiopia’s door with increasing impatience: FAILED STATE.

Ethiopia’s Tigray demands troop withdrawals for ceasefire talks | 4 July 2021 | Reuters

Ethiopia’s Tigray region wants a full withdrawal of troops from Eritrea and the neighbouring state of Amhara before it can engage in any talks with the federal government about a ceasefire, it said in a statement on Sunday.

400,000 in Tigray cross ‘threshold into famine’, with nearly 2 million on the brink, Security Council told | 2 July 2021 | UN News

Senior UN officials appealed on Friday for immediate and unrestricted humanitarian access to Tigray – and for an end to deadly attacks on aid workers – as the Security Council held its first open meeting on the conflict in the restive northern Ethiopian region.

Ethiopia denies trying to ‘suffocate’ Tigray region | 2 July 2021 | Washington Post

Ethiopia’s government on Friday rejected accusations that it’s trying to “suffocate” the people of Tigray by denying them urgently needed food and other aid, as transport and communications links remained severed to the region that faces the world’s worst famine crisis in a decade.

Analysis: Ethiopia govt withdrawal from Tigray capital opens new chapter in war | 2 July 2021 | Reuters

The capture of the Tigray regional capital by its ousted rulers this week was a dramatic setback for Ethiopia’s government, diplomats and analysts say, opening a new chapter in a brutal war but by no means bringing it to an end.

Unable to control Tigray, Ethiopia isolates region already beset by famine and war | 2 July 2021 | Washington Post

The Ethiopian government’s inability to sustain its military offensive in the mountainous northern Tigray region was laid bare this week, as rebel forces chased their adversaries out of key cities and were met, as they triumphantly marched in, with jubilation from locals who see them as liberators.

Fall of Tigray capital marks new phase of Ethiopia war | 2 July 2021 | France24

Rebel fighters in Ethiopia’s war-hit Tigray stunned the world this week by retaking the regional capital Mekele, sparking boastful statements by their leaders and rowdy street celebrations by their supporters.

Ethiopia denies blocking aid to Tigray where WFP trucks waited days to unload | 2 July 2021 | Reuters

Ethiopia on Friday denied blocking humanitarian aid to its northern Tigray region where hundreds of thousands face starvation, and said it was rebuilding infrastructure amid accusations it is using hunger as a weapon.

Trapped in Ethiopia’s Tigray, People ‘Falling Like Leaves’ | 30 June 2021 | VoA

The plea arrived from a remote area that had so far produced only rumors and residents fleeing for their lives. Help us, the letter said, stamped and signed by a local official. At least 125 people already have starved to death.

Ethiopia: Uncertainty in Tigray after rebels take control of restive north | 30 June 2021 | DW

Ethiopia PM says army quit Tigray as no longer ‘centre’ of conflict | 30 June 2021 | Reuters

What’s behind the renewed conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region? | 30 June 2021 | Washington Post

The rebel Tigray Defense Forces claimed Mekele and Shire were under their control. Experts warn of a precarious situation after Ethiopia’s federal government called a unilateral cease-fire.

Rape as a strategy of war: demanding protection and justice for the women and girls of Tigray | 30 June 2021 | SABC

The 2018 Nobel Laureate, Dr. Denis Mukwege, a gynaecologist celebrated for his work with survivors of sexual assault in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Panzi Hospital said, “Rape is a strategy of war – it is meant to destroy women and communities physically and mentally”. Sadly, this destruction has become a daily reality for women and girls in Tigray.

Washington says it will not ‘stand by in the face of horrors’ in Tigray | 29 June 2021 | Reuters

Ethiopia and Eritrea should anticipate further actions from the United States if the announced cessation of hostilities does not lead to improvements in the Tigray region, a senior U.S. State Department official said on Tuesday.

Tigray rebels vow to drive out ‘enemies’ despite ceasefire declaration | 29 June 2021 | The Guardian

Tigray fighters in Ethiopia reject cease-fire as ‘sick joke’ | 29 June 2021 | Associated Press

Dissident leaders of Ethiopia’s war-hit Tigray have dismissed a government ceasefire declaration and vowed to drive out “enemies” from the region, after rebel fighters advanced on the Tigrayan capital.

Ottawa must stop aid to Ethiopia in light of human rights violations | 29 June 2021 | National Post

Ottawa should stop sending millions of dollars in aid to the Ethiopian government and push for creating a no-fly zone and delivering air-dropped food aid to the people of the Tigray region, who have been under attack from the federal military for nearly eight months, advocates say.

Interim government of Tigray flees as rebels seize capital | 28 June 2021 | The Guardian

Tigrayan Forces take over capital Mekelle; Fed. Gov accepts interim admin’s call for unilateral ceasefire | 28 June 2021 | Addis Standard

The interim government of Ethiopia’s war-hit Tigray region has fled as rebel fighters advanced into the region’s capital and the national government announced a “unilateral ceasefire”.

Ethiopia’s sovereignty and the Responsibility to Protect in Tigray | 27 June 2021 | Ethiopia Insight

The civil war in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region brings into focus tensions between the traditional principle of state sovereignty and the emerging Responsibility to Protect (R2P) norm.

Ethiopia’s Tigray crisis: What happened the day a bomb hit a market | 27 June 2021 | BBC

Conflicting accounts have been circulating following an Ethiopian missile strike on a market town in the northern region of Tigray. The Ethiopian government said it was targeting militants, but multiple sources have described heavy civilian casualties including women and children. We’ve used witness accounts, aerial images and official statements to build a detailed picture of what happened.

Statement on the killing of three MSF aid workers in the Tigray Region | 26 June 2021 | UNCT | ReliefWeb

Tigray: UN condemns murder of 3 MSF humanitarians as ‘appalling violation’ of international law | 26 June 2021 | UN News

Three employees of the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) agency have been killed by unknown attackers in the restive Tigray region of Ethiopia, drawing swift condemnation from UN Secretary-General António Guterres who said on Saturday he was “deeply shocked” by the murders.

4 Things to Know about Tigray’s Humanitarian Crisis as Ethiopia Counts Votes | 25 June 2021 | Global Citizen

While Ethiopia’s national elections took place on June 21 2021, the conflict in the country’s Tigray region only worsened. Just 34% of citizens in Africa’s second-most populous country were registered to vote, with polls located in six of the country’s 10 regions. Authorities were unable to hold elections in the other four regions, including conflict-ridden Tigray.

Ethiopia’s Tigray crisis: Heavy casualties reported after air strike | 24 June 2021 | BBC

Dozens of people have reportedly been killed or injured after Ethiopia’s air force bombed a market in the northern region of Tigray. Eyewitnesses told the BBC the Ethiopian air force struck the town of Togoga on Tuesday, 25km (15 miles) from the region’s capital, Mekelle.

Ethiopia: Joint statement by the High Representative Borrell and Commissioner Lenarčič on the airstrike in the Tigray region | 23 June 2021 | EU External Action Service

The reports on the bombing of a market place in the village of Edaga Selus near Togoga in the Dogua Tembien District of the Tigray Region on 22 June are extremely worrying. This is yet another attack adding up to the horrific series of International Humanitarian Law and human rights violations, atrocities, ethnic violence, combined with serious allegations of use of starvation and sexual violence as weapons of conflict.

U.N. expert says Eritrea has ‘effective control’ in parts of Tigray | 22 June 2021 | Reuters

Eritrea now has “effective control” of parts of Ethiopia’s Tigray region, a U.N. human rights expert said on Tuesday, calling for troops to withdraw and for a prompt investigation into abuses, including the abduction of refugees.

Ethiopia’s Tigray crisis: Abiy Ahmed denies reports of hunger | 22 June 2021 | BBC

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has denied that there is hunger in the country’s war-torn Tigray region. Speaking at a polling station on the day of the country’s general election, Mr Abiy admitted there was a problem but said the government could fix it.

‘Don’t betray women of Tigray’: calls grow for international action against rape in war | 19 June 2021 | The Guardian

The former prime minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark, and Zimbabwean author and 2020 Booker prize nominee Tsitsi Dangarembga are among the signatories of two separate letters demanding international action after shocking reports of sexual violence in Tigray.

“Ethiopian leaders told me they’re going to wipe out, destroy Tigryans”, claims EU envoy | 18 June 2021 | Addis Standard

Finnish FM: EU envoy work continues despite Ethiopian criticism | 23 June 2021 | Euractiv

An alarming video with claims from Pekka Haavisto, Foreign Minister of Finland and EU’s envoy to Ethiopia has emerged in which the top EU diplomat alleged that Ethiopian leaders told him in February of their intents to “wipe out the Tigrayans.”

Eritrea files new complaint with UN over Tigray allegations | 17 June 2021 | Africa Times

The Eritrean government has filed another complaint against the United Nations Security Council and UN heads of humanitarian agencies over the situation in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.

Warnings of Genocide in Ethiopia’s Tigray | 16 June 2021 | Gariwo

Between November and December 2020, a civil war took place in Tigray, a region in Northern Ethiopia, Africa’s most populous country after Nigeria. The war involved the Ethiopian army, commanded by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and backed by Eritrean troops, and the Tigray’s People Liberation Front (TPLF), which challenged Ethiopia’s central government. The war, which stemmed from decades-long tensions, officially ended in December. Yet, the conflict kept escalating and ravaging the Tigray region. More than two million people are now displaced, around four million require aid, and Ethiopian and Eritrean troops have been accused of ethnic cleansing, massacres, and other atrocities in Tigray that amount to war crimes. Some even discuss the Tigray crisis in terms of genocide.

Sexual Violence and the War in Tigray | 16 June 2021 | Lawfare

It is now indisputable that the outbreak of war in Tigray, a region in northern Ethiopia, in November 2020 has resulted in widespread conflict-related sexual violence. In mid-April, the top public health official in the interim government in Tigray (a body established by the federal government) told Reuters that there have been more than 820 reported cases of sexual violence registered across five hospitals since the start of conflict. This health official further asserted that women are being subjected to “sexual slavery.” There are now assertions that the sexual violence in Tigray constitutes “genocidal rape.”

Tens of Thousands of Tigray Children Face Imminent Death, UNICEF Warns | 15 June 2021 | VoA

The U.N. Children’s Fund warns at least 33,000 severely malnourished children in northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region face imminent death if they do not receive immediate help to treat their condition.

Starvation has become a weapon of war in Ethiopia. U.S. action is urgent | 15 June 2021 | The Washington Post

For months, humanitarian agencies have been warning that famine could spread in the Ethiopian region of Tigray if government forces and allied troops from neighboring Eritrea did not end a brutal campaign to subjugate the area. Now that emergency has arrived. U.N. agencies reported last week that more than 350,000 of Tigray’s 6 million people are living in famine conditions, and 2 million more are at risk. Some 140,000 of those facing starvation are children, according to UNICEF, which says 33,000 are at imminent risk of death.

Ethiopie : les rebelles du TPLF accusés de faire entrer des armes de contrebande | 14 June 2021 | Journal du Tchad

Le gouvernement éthiopien a déclaré avoir des preuves crédibles que certains « éléments étrangers » ont tenté de faire passer des armes au Front de libération du peuple du Tigré (TPLF) sous couvert d’aide humanitaire. Un message vidéo pré enregistré publié par le ministère des Affaires étrangères au cours du week-end, le vice-premier ministre, Demeke Mekonnen, a déclaré que l’Éthiopie était déçue par une campagne secrète apparemment menée contre sa gestion de la situation dans la région troublée du Tigré.

EU and the US Concerned About the Humanitarian Emergency in Tigray | 11 June 2021 | IndepthNews

Together with the United Nations, the European Commission has urged “all parties to the conflict” in Ethiopia’s Tigray region to agree to “a ceasefire immediately to facilitate humanitarian assistance to reach all people in need in Tigray regardless of where they are and to stop violence against civilians”.

In Tigray, food is often a weapon of war as famine looms | 11 June 2021 | The Associated Press

First the Eritrean soldiers stole the pregnant woman’s food as she hid in the bush. Then they turned her away from a checkpoint when she was on the verge of labor.

About 350,000 people in Ethiopia’s Tigray in famine -U.N. Analysis | 11 June 2021 | Reuters

More than 350,000 people in Ethiopia’s Tigray are suffering famine conditions, with millions more at risk, according to an analysis by United Nations agencies and aid groups that blamed conflict for the worst catastrophic food crisis in a decade.

U.S. provides over $181 million to avert famine in Tigray, Ethiopia | 10 June 2021 | Reuters

The United States is providing more than $181 million to deliver food, water and aid to feed more than three million people it said were facing famine in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, where thousands have been killed since conflict erupted in November.

Atrocity Alert No. 256: Ethiopia, Burkina Faso and Justice for Past Atrocities | 10 June 2021 | GCR2P | ReliefWeb

The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, warned on Friday, 4 June, that famine is “imminent” in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, stating that aid workers were already seeing starvation-related deaths. He stressed that, “there are now hundreds of thousands of people in northern Ethiopia in famine conditions… This now has horrible echoes of the colossal tragedy in Ethiopia in 1984,” comparing the current situation in Tigray to a notorious famine that killed over a million people in Ethiopia four decades ago.

Children Shot, Bombed and Knifed in Tigray War | 8 June 2021 | VoA

Fifteen-year-old Beriha lost one eye in the war and was permanently blinded in the other. And like many of the children hospitalized in Mekelle, the capital of Ethiopia’s Tigray region, she traveled for weeks to get here. Children in the ward had been shot, knifed or hit by shrapnel from heavy artillery. Some lost limbs from stepping on landmines.

How ethnic killings exploded from an Ethiopian town | 7 June 2021 | Reuters

Soon after fighting broke out in Ethiopia’s western Tigray region last year, conflicting accounts surfaced of an ethnic massacre in a farming town called Mai Kadra. Now Reuters has uncovered how the violence began and the brutal cycle of vengeance and slaughter that followed.

Witnesses to slaughter: The conflict in Ethiopia | 7 June 2021 | DefenceWeb

In November last year, fighting erupted in Ethiopia’s Tigray region between the rebellious Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the army. Within days, reports emerged of communal killings in a farming town called Mai Kadra, in western Tigray.

Lost Limbs, Rising Anger as Town Is Caught up in Tigray War | 4 June 2021 | The Associated Press | Pulitzer Center

Shops remained shuttered, some government workers hadn’t been paid and the town’s main hospital was utterly laid to waste. But the Tigrayan fighters still claimed victory, swaggering through the streets of Hawzen with their guns. It wouldn’t last long.

Ethiopia rejects calls for ceasefire in Tigray, claiming victory is near | 3 June 2021 | The Guardian

UN says pause in fight against rebels would enable aid to reach province where 90% of people risk starvation. The Ethiopian government has defiantly brushed aside international calls for a ceasefire in the northern province of Tigray, saying its forces are close to “finalising operations” and will soon eliminate all armed opposition.

Ethiopian government defends actions in Tigray Region, accuses critics of ‘orchestrated attack’ | 3 June 2021 | CNN

The Government of Ethiopia has defended its actions in the northern province of Tigray, saying that it “condemns all acts that put the life and dignity of civilians in danger.” In a press statement issued on Thursday, the Prime Minister’s office said it “categorically rejects accusations of decimation of a people as a policy. Such is not the heartbeat of this administration.”

The Tigray Conflict: Ethiopia’s Humanitarian Disaster — Harry Sanders | 3 June 2021 | UK Human Rights Blog

Since November 2020, the Tigray region in the north of Ethiopia has been the epicentre of an awful (and hugely underreported) humanitarian disaster. War and violence have sent the region’s inhabitants fleeing over the Ethiopian border in search of asylum, while those who have not escaped are left to suffer increasingly disturbing conditions. Although the conflict was declared ‘over’ very quickly by the Ethiopian central government, abhorrent human rights abuses have continued while humanitarian access has been turned away. To understand how a nation led by a Nobel Laureate has fallen from grace on the world stage so dramatically, it is important to consider the circumstances which led to the outbreak of violence, and furthermore what it may mean for the future of Ethiopia and her people.

Ethiopia: Is the TPLF or Addis Ababa winning the PR war in the US? | 2 June 2021 | The Africa Report

Ethiopia’s government has been facing mounting pressure amidst internal conflict in Tigray and regional tensions around its Grand Renaissance Dam (GERD). In an effort to smooth over relations with the US – a once powerful ally – Addis Ababa has hired law firm Holland & Knight to assist with lobbying actions in Washington. What strategy is Abiy Ahmed’s government taking?

Ethiopia’s human rights chief as war rages in Tigray: ‘we get accused by all ethnic groups’ | 2 June 2021 | The Guardian

Former political prisoner Daniel Bekele has made the commission more autonomous but critics claim he is biased on current conflict. There was a time when a report by Ethiopia’s human rights commission was a staid affair, its findings offering window-dressing for hand-wringing donors and legal cover to the government.

Législatives en Éthiopie : un scrutin crucial sur fond de conflits ethniques | 1 June 2021 | France24

Après plusieurs reports, les élections législatives ont été fixées au 21 juin en Éthiopie. Dans un contexte de tensions exacerbées par la guerre au Tigré (nord) et des violences politico-ethniques, le Premier ministre Abiy Ahmed entend malgré tout obtenir la légitimité démocratique qui lui fait défaut.

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Conflict Outside Tigray

Ethiopia: The Oromo Liberation Army is not a terrorist organisation | 27 July 2021 | The Africa Report

This piece is a response to the article “Ethiopia: Victory for the Oromo will come from winning hearts and minds, not terrorising people” that was written by Nagesso Dube.

How developing border region in Sudan could ignite Africa’s next conflict | 6 July 2021 | BusinessLive

The development of the patch of land could be a boon for Sudan’s struggling economy, but could also fuel a growing feud between it and Ethiopia.

Ethiopia: Boy Publicly Executed in Oromia | 10 June 2021 | HRW

Ethiopian government forces summarily executed a 17-year-old boy in Ethiopia’s Oromia region in broad daylight, Human Rights Watch said today. The public execution of Amanuel Wondimu Kebede underscores the lack of accountability for security force abuses in the country.

R2P Monitor, Issue 57 | 1 June 2021 | Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect

R2P Monitor is a quarterly bulletin applying the atrocity prevention lens to populations at risk of mass atrocities around the world. Issue 57 looks at developments in Afghanistan, Cameroon, Central Sahel (Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger), China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Myanmar (Burma), Syria, Venezuela, Yemen, Mozambique, Central African Republic, Nigeria, South Sudan and Sudan.