UN Human Rights Violation Probing Team on Ethiopia Smokescreen Behind Impositions

BY SOLOMON DIBABA

Over the past four years, more particularly in the last two years, some western governments and their media companies have left no stone upturned to accuse Ethiopia for violation of human rights, spreading disinformation to the world, as if the major perpetrators of human rights violation and crimes against humanity are victims of the malicious act. The west is deliberately fanning on human rights violations in Ethiopia through the artificial eyes and ears borrowed from terrorist TPLF and as part of their destabilization strategy to enthrone the terrorist organization to a political power in the country.

Some western powers and their media are trying to be more Ethiopian than the Ethiopians by shedding crocodile tears to cover up their political motive and diplomatic support for terrorist TPLF and its sub groups that vow in the name of ethnic groups to create total havoc across the country and in major cities.

Although it has become hard for them to swallow bitter truth, Ethiopia has made continuous efforts to end the stalemate with terrorist TPLF in a peaceful manner but the terrorist TPLF rejected and continued to reject the government’s request for peace and reconciliation accusing the government of genocide, violations of human rights and crimes against humanity.

Today, however, the troika composed of terrorist TPLF, its sympathizers and few western nations along with the western media could not continue with its deceptive and fake propaganda in the face of the daylight truth. The UN and other international organizations that were accusing Ethiopia on baseless crimes have now chosen to mute by the report of the bitter truths, which the Joint Investigative Team (JIT) of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

By now, some EU member countries are combining economic sanctions, legal issues on human rights and crimes against humanity, utilization of international legal instruments and institutions as tools for decapitating the progress of democracy and the rule of law in Ethiopia.

The JIT has carried out the investigation within the framework of relevant international legal norms, including international human rights law, humanitarian law, refugee law and criminal law, as well as Ethiopian domestic law. Prior to the commencement of the investigation, the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) agreed on its methods of work to guide the investigation and applied best practices regarding victim and witness protection, rules of procedure, international investigative standards, report writing, and archiving. Consistent with the practice of international fact-finding bodies, the JIT adopted a “reasonable grounds to believe” standard of proof for factual determinations on individual cases, incidents and patterns of violations.

The 150 page report, issued on November 3,2021 by the JIT, noted that the team “investigated alleged violations by all parties to the conflict from 3 November 2020 until the unilateral ceasefire declared by the federal government of Ethiopia on 28 June 2021. Field investigations were conducted from 16 May to 31 August 2021 in different locations in Tigray including Mekelle, Wukro, Samre and nearby areas, Alamata, Bora, Maichew, Dansha, Maikadra, and Humera. The JIT visited internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps in Mekelle, Gondar, Dabat, and Dansha, and, interviewed IDPs from various parts of Tigray, including Adi Aro, Adi Hageray, Adigrat, Adwa, Badme, Dengolat, Humera, Korem, Maikadra, Mekelle, Quiha, Shimelba, Shire, Sheraro, Tembien, and Zalambesa. The JIT also conducted investigations in Addis Ababa and other affected locations such as Gondar and Bahir Dar. The JIT conducted 269 confidential interviews with victims and witnesses of alleged violations and abuses and held 64 meetings with federal and regional authorities, representatives of United Nations agencies and nongovernmental organizations, community groups, medical personnel, and other sources.”

Responding to the findings of the report, Prime Minister Abiy swiftly expressed his appreciation of the report stating that “in many respects the findings of the JIT are consistent with our own investigation. As the report makes it abundantly clear, the TPLF triggered the tragic conflict and committed some of the most egregious violations and abuses, many of which the international community has chosen to ignore or minimize.”

On the 19^th of December 17, 2021 Friday, the UN Human Rights Council held a special session sponsored by the EU on what it called "the grave human rights situation in Ethiopia”. The request for a session was reportedly supported by 17 nations including Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Fiji, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, the Marshall Islands, South Korea, Ukraine, and the UK. Moreover, 36 observer states, including Australia, Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the US attended the UN Human Rights Council special session on Ethiopia.

Responding to the resolution passed by 24 supporters of council member countries, there were 15 oppositions,  and 11 abstentions. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release which stated that: “Ethiopia is extremely disappointed to have witnessed once again the use of the Human Rights Council by some to advance their politically motivated agenda.

Regardless of repeated requests by the government of Ethiopia for the Council not to hold a special session but rather engage in a constructive manner and work in a collaborative spirit with the country concerned, some succeeded in achieving their objective through attaining majority votes in the Council.”

Contrary to the agreements that brought up the JIT and its investigations which were expected to continue in a broader framework, the UNHRC discredited and disqualified the findings of the JIT and appointed three investigators without consulting Ethiopia.

On March 3, 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Council announced the appointment of the former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, to lead the investigation in Ethiopia.

The President of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Federico Villegas, announced the appointment of three international experts to serve as the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia. Ms. Bensouda was appointed to serve as Chair of the three-person Commission, accompanying members Kaari Betty Murungi of Kenya and Steven Ratner of the United States.

This is how even the most reputed UNHRC is pressurized and forced to disqualify an investigation in which it was the primary partner simply because the findings were not either in favor of some western powers and terrorist TPLF. This manipulative action on the part of a UN body indicates the extent to which the organization has fallen prey to the interests of few countries who wish to dictate their own desires on the global agency.

Moreover, on its report on March 11, 2022, on the human rights and crimes against humanity, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has investigated that at least 346 civilians were killed by terrorist TPLF forces and its allies in both regions. The report indicated that the members of ENDF, Amhara Special Forces and Fanno have taken actions on those who they suspected were members of the TPLF and its allies. The report disclosed that terrorist TPLF forces have conducted individual and gang rape on women, children and elderly women, as a tool of war.

Ethiopia has time and again reported that the government is fully committed to investigating any violation of human rights and crimes against humanity, where it has demonstrated commitment to conducting a number of investigations and bringing the perpetrators before the court of law. Despite the efforts made by the government of Ethiopia, the western powers alarmingly are beating the drum of violations of human rights mixing it with politics. On the other hand, it seems that the UNHRC is trying to portray that Ethiopia is unable to conduct such investigation.

Ethiopia had started to investigate violations of human rights and crimes against humanity even before the UNHRC uttered a word about this by establishing an investigative national committee drawn from the relevant bodies.

It is indeed regrettable that the global human rights organization is being abused as a tool for pursuing the political agenda of some western powers. Human rights and issues of crimes against humanity have nothing to do with sheer empty desires by the same. Ethiopia is a sovereign country that is capable of addressing her own issues whatever they might be. With due respect, Ethiopia expects constructive engagement and cooperation with all western nations on win-win basis, in its efforts to uphold human rights. Ethiopia is able to conduct investigation. The recent report by the EHRC is a vivid manifestation.