Rebels from the state of Tigray have raped women and underage girls, in several cases in groups, in two communities in the state of Amhara, the human rights organization Amnesty International complains in a report released today.
Since the outbreak in November 2020, the war that began in Tigray, in northern Ethiopia, before spreading to the neighboring states of Amhara and Afar, has been marked by numerous atrocities on all sides.
Amnesty states in its report that it interviewed 30 rape victims, some as young as 14, as well as victims of other atrocities in the Senna and Kombo communities in August and September, after being captured by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. (TPLF).
Nearly half of victims of sexual violence reported being gang-raped, many in front of their children. Doctors told the NGO that some were bleeding internally because rapists inserted rifle butts and bayonets into their genitals.
A 14-year-old schoolgirl told Amnesty International that both she and her mother were raped inside their home by TPLF fighters, who told them they were seeking revenge for similar atrocities suffered by their own families.
“My mother is very ill now, she is very depressed, she is in despair. We are not talking about what happened, it is impossible,” said Lucy, a student.
In November, Amnesty International released another report on guerrilla sexual assault in another community in Amhara.
“Evidence has grown that Tigray forces have been committing war crimes and possible crimes against humanity in areas under their control in Amhara since July 2021,” said Sarah Jackson, deputy director of the department. NGOs responsible for East Africa.
They relate to “repeated episodes of large-scale rape, summary executions and looting, especially in hospitals,” Ms Jackson added.
Kombo residents reported that guerrillas had killed civilians.
The TPLF has not responded to reports of these crimes, according to Amnesty. However, the faction criticized the NGO’s previous report, adding that it was conducting its own investigation.
The civil war in Ethiopia has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people, displaced more than two million people and brought hundreds of thousands to a state of famine, according to the United Nations.
Amnesty International has previously reported the rape of hundreds of women and girls in Tigray by men from the Ethiopian Federal Army and the Eritrean Armed Forces, who were also involved in the war on the side of Addis Ababa.
In November, a joint report by Michelle Bachelet’s services to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Ethiopian Commission on Human Rights gathered evidence of possible war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Source: Capital
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
