UN, EHRC to Jointly Probe allaged human rights abuse in Tigray

ADDIS ABABA – The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) have agreed to conduct a joint investigation into the human rights violations and abuses allegedly committed in Tigray region.

The prob would look into abuses allegedly committed by all parties in the context of the Tigray conflict, as part of the much-needed accountability process for the victims, the two said in a joint statement issued today.

The two sides have been monitoring closely the human rights situation since the start of the conflict on 4 November 2020.

Both organizations “remain concerned about the reports of serious human rights violations and abuses and the devastating impact of the conflict on the civilian population” the statement reads.

It says, with multiple actors involved in the conflict and the gravity of the reported violations, an “objective, independent investigation is urgently required”.

The agreement to collaborate in a joint investigation is the result of an ongoing partnership and engagement between the two organizations.

The collaboration is founded on shared objectives to create “accountability for violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law committed by all parties in the context of the Tigray conflict,” the two said.

“Such investigations are within the existing mandate of both organizations,” the statement says.

The deployment will start as soon as possible for an initial period of three months, according to the statement.