According to the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, Eritrean soldiers killed over 100 civilians in a November massacre in war-torn Tigray, which may have constituted crimes against humanity.
The findings of the government-affiliated but independent Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, released on Wednesday, corroborate separate investigations into the same murders in the historic town of Axum by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
“Information collected during this preliminary investigation confirms that during the two days of November 28 and November 29, grave violations of human rights were committed and that in Axum, over one hundred residents… were killed by Eritrean soldiers,” the commission said.
“As these grave human rights violations may amount to crimes against humanity or war crimes, it underscores the need for a comprehensive investigation into overall human rights situation in Tigray region.”
The latest report comes after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed admitted for the first time that Eritrean troops had crossed into Tigray and indicated they may have committed abuses against civilians.
For months, Ethiopia and Eritrea have flatly denied Asmara’s forces’ participation in the conflict, calling reports of their alleged atrocities in the region “misinformation and propaganda.”
IN LATE FEBRUARY AND EARLY MARCH AFTER PREVIOUS EFFORTS TO REACH THE TOWN, the EHRC sent a fact-finding mission to Axum, a UNESCO World Heritage site; after previous efforts to reach the town were “hampered by the security situation.”
Hospitals were looted.
Hundreds of witnesses told the rights commission that Eritrean troops shot unarmed civilians and fired on those attempting to collect their bodies.
According to the report, “Eritrean soldiers went door to door asking women ‘where their husbands or children were’ and telling them ‘to bring their sons out if they have any.”
According to witnesses, corpses were left in the streets for days, with some being dismembered by animals.
The EHRC, like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, was unable to provide an exact death toll in Axum. The commission was still checking more victims and investigating other alleged atrocities in areas surrounding Axum.
According to the report, Eritrean and Ethiopian soldiers were also accused of looting hospitals, even taking hospital beds and mattresses, resulting in crippling medical and equipment shortages and patient deaths.
On November 4, Abiy sent troops into Tigray after blaming the region’s ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, for attacks on federal army camps.
With the capture of the regional capital, Mekelle, he declared the fighting over in late November. Still, reports of widespread rape, murder, and looting by Ethiopian and Eritrean forces have prompted calls for an investigation.
Among other members of the international community, the United Nations has encouraged Eritrean troops to leave Tigray.
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