The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat and Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen on Thursday discussed on the modalities of the planned investigation on alleged human rights violations in Ethiopia’s conflict-affected northernmost Tigray region.
The two officials mainly discussed the modalities of engagement of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR), an AU Commission’s right body, in the investigation of alleged human rights violations in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, according to an AU statement.
The principle of the investigation was proposed by Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, during a Summit-level meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council (AU-PSC) held on Tuesday.
“The Chairperson of the AU Commission welcomed the readiness of Ethiopian government to cooperate with the African Union’s Treaty Body,” the statement read.
Mahamat commended the Ethiopian government for its openness to engage with the AU and stated his confidence that the ACHPR will deliver on this important task.
Amid increasing pressure on the Ethiopian government from various actors for an independent investigation on alleged human rights violations in the country’s conflict-affected northernmost Tigray region, the Ethiopia PM had on Tuesday proposed a joint investigation into the matter.
The Ethiopian government had recently allowed humanitarian access to Tigray, stressing that all entities operating in the state should abide by the laws of the land.
Months of fighting between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which used to rule the Tigray regional state, and the Ethiopian National Defense Forces have reportedly left thousands of people dead, hundreds of thousands of others displaced, and millions in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
According to Ethiopian government figures, the conflict has displaced around 2.2 million people, while 4.5 million people are in need of emergency aid. Enditem
