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The Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia remains deeply concerned by serious allegations of rape in Tigray and condemns, in the strongest terms, any acts of sexual violence.

The Embassy would like to reassure Ethiopians at home and abroad, its development partners, and the wider international community, that the Government of Ethiopia maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual and gender-based violence. Any serious violations committed against citizens will be thoroughly investigated, and the Government will spare no effort in bringing the perpetrators of these and other crimes to justice. No person, including serving soldiers, is above the law.

All women and girls across Ethiopia should be able to feel safe in their homes, free from fear of all forms of violence and abuse. In line with the Government’s obligation to uphold the rule of law and bring to account perpetrators of these crimes, 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 on the ground aimed at establishing the facts.

Furthermore, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), an independent body, has been investigating in the Region and has recently confirmed its collaboration with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to jointly investigate alleged serious abuses and rights violations in the Region.

The outcome of these investigations will enable the Government to bring the perpetrators to justice, provide redress to the victims, and comprehensively address alleged human rights violations and crimes that have occurred in Tigray.

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Press Office: press@ethioembassy.org.uk | 020 7838 3883

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