We, Australia, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States, are deeply concerned about the escalation of the conflict and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in northern Ethiopia. We call on the Ethiopian government and regional authorities in Tigray to immediately halt their military offensives, agree to a cessation of hostilities, allow sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access, and seek a negotiated settlement through peace talks under a process led by the African Union. We also condemn the increasing involvement of Eritrean military forces in northern Ethiopia. We urge the Eritrean forces to cease their military operations and withdraw from northern Ethiopia. All foreign actors must stop the actions that fuel this conflict.
Multiple reports, including the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission/Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights joint investigation report and the recent International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE) report, have documented human rights abuses committed by Ethiopian and Eritrean government forces, Tigrayan forces, and other armed actors, such as the Fano militia, since the beginning of the conflict in November 2020. The human rights abuses documented in these reports They include unlawful killings, physical abuse, and gender-based violence. We are deeply concerned by ICHREE’s conclusion that there are reasonable grounds to believe that starvation of a civilian population has been used as a method of warfare. The renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia poses a high risk of further human rights violations and abuses.
We denounce any and all violence against civilians. We call on the parties to recognize that there is no military solution to the conflict, and we call on the Government of Ethiopia and the regional authorities in Tigray to engage in African Union-led talks aimed at helping Ethiopia achieve a lasting peace. Any durable solution must include accountability for human rights violations and abuses. We also call on all parties to allow unhindered humanitarian access, ensure the safety of humanitarian workers, and cooperate and facilitate access for international human rights monitors.
