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US Department of State finds all parties in Ethiopia-Tigray conflict committed war crimes – JURIST

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken Monday stated that all parties involved in the conflict in Ethiopia committed war crimes. Blinken said the US Department of State found that the Amhara forces, Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) forces, Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF), Ethiopia National Defense Forces (ENDF), and Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF) engaged in crimes such as rape, murder and sexual assault. These actions constitute crimes against humanity. The Department of State also found that Amhara forces were responsible for ethnic cleansing in Western Tigray.Blinken emphasized the importance of officially acknowledging all parties’ crimes in order to ensure long-term peace. Consequently, Blinken said, all parties responsible for atrocities should face justice. Blinken views reconciliation as the final and most important step in breaking the cycle of ethnic and political violence.Blinken welcomed the November 2022 Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA). He said, with it, all parties have “acknowledge[d] the atrocities committed and their devastating consequences.” Blinken continued:We urge all parties to follow through on their commitments to one another and implement a credible, inclusive, and comprehensive transitional justice process.  We additionally call on the Government of Eritrea to ensure comprehensive justice and accountability for those responsible for abuses in Ethiopia.Following a period of heightened tensions, the clashes in Ethiopia began in November 2020. The Ethiopian Federal Government launched operations in Tigray against the region’s ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. Several human rights violations resulted from the conflict, including armed drone attacks that have killed at least 57 civilians and injured 42 others. The conflict ended in November 2022 with all parties signing the COHA. Eritrean troops withdrew as a result, reducing the number of human rights violations.The US expressed its support for the establishment of a transparent and credible justice system to ensure that justice is available to all affected citizens. The US stance on the Ethiopia-Tigray conflict supports the UN’s assertion that the combatants’ attacks amounted to war crimes.