Statement to Channel 4 News on the Amnesty International Report
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The Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia condemns, in the strongest terms, any acts of violence and human rights violations towards innocent civilians.
However, it is to be recalled that the treasonous attack perpetrated by the TPLF against the Ethiopian National Defense Forces on 4th November 2020, led to a complete breakdown of law and order in Tigray. As a direct consequence, the complex security challenges that emerged have put civilians in the Region under great vulnerability.
There is no denying that Amnesty International’s report, THE MASSACRE IN AXUM (26th February 2021), has raised some issues that are of grave concern to the Government of Ethiopia. All allegations of human rights abuses are taken very seriously, and the Government remains committed to investigating these allegations in line with its responsibilities to ensure the rule of law in the country.
Special taskforces comprised of representatives from the Office of the Attorney General and the Federal Police Commission have been deployed to Tigray in recent weeks to carry out investigations aimed at establishing the facts. Furthermore, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, an independent body, has also been conducting its own investigations on human rights violations in the Region – the results of which will be made public in due course. The Government also welcomes international technical assistance to undertake further investigations and welcomes the possibility for collaboration on potential joint investigations.
Furthermore, with the security situation in Tigray improving, humanitarian agencies and the media have now been granted unfettered access to the Region.
The Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia would like to reassure Ethiopians, the international community and development partners, that the Government of Ethiopia is committed to enabling a stable and peaceful country in which its citizens’ needs are met and the rule of law is ensured. Any serious offences committed against citizens will be thoroughly investigated, and the Government will spare no effort in bringing the perpetrators of crimes against humanity and crimes against the State to justice.
—ENDS—
For further information, please contact the Press Office: press@ethioembassy.org.uk | 020 7838 3883
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