The United Nations-sanctioned inquiry into human rights abuses in Ethiopia will conclude next week, despite ongoing atrocities in the region. The International Commission of Experts on Human Rights on Ethiopia, created in 2021 at the proposal of the European Union, will officially end its mandate after October 13, 2023, as confirmed by Pascal Sim, spokesperson for the Human Rights Council of the UN It should be noted that none of the parties involved in the mandate requested an extension within the deadline.
This development follows the commission’s recent report, which highlighted the persistent risk of human rights atrocities in Ethiopia and underlined the critical need for continued independent investigations into the country’s human rights situation. Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region has been in conflict since November 2020, when government forces and rebels clashed, leading to widespread atrocities committed by all parties involved.
In November last year, the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front signed a peace deal, known as the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, which appears to have ended the brutal conflict. However, a year later, the commission’s report indicates that atrocities are still occurring in parts of the Tigray region.
The possibility of another term appears to have been discouraged by opposition from African states, diplomats said. The mandate was only narrowly renewed last year. Human Rights Watch expressed its disappointment on Wednesday, saying that the European Union and its members have withdrawn their support for monitoring the human rights situation in Ethiopia.
Tirana Hassan, executive director of Human Rights Watch, described the conclusion of the commission’s mandate as a “devastating blow” to the many victims of atrocities in Ethiopia who had placed their hopes in the commission. An EU spokesman said Thursday that “justice and accountability are clear conditions for the gradual normalization of relations with Ethiopia,” but European nations had not reached a consensus to propose a resolution for a new mandate.
Ethiopia has consistently opposed the UN-sanctioned investigation, arguing that its national justice policies provide sufficient avenues for any investigation. However, the UN commission has criticized this approach as “deeply flawed”. Asked for comment on Wednesday, Ethiopian government spokeswoman Legesse Tulu replied: “This is the end of [ICHREE’s] history [in] Ethiopia,” he added, “There is no need to talk about a dead end.”
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