Falls Church, Virginia (10/18/2022) – Over the past few days, there have been reports of an escalation of violence in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. On October 15, Josep Borrell Fontelles, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, tweeted about the violence, including reports that there had been, “targeting of civilians,” in Shire, a city located near Ethiopia’s border with Eritrea. Then, on October 18, the Ethiopian government confirmed that the ENDF, which is supported by Eritrean forces, had seized three towns in northern Tigray: Shire, Alamata, and Korem.
Leading human rights organizations have previously reported on the abuses that have been committed by all parties to the conflict in northern Ethiopia, including on abuses committed by Eritrean forces in 2021. It appears there is reason to believe similar abuses are likely being perpetrated in this latest round of conflict. Early reports indicate that thousands of residents have fled from Shire since the city was captured, and Human Rights Watch has noted that these latest attacks “have resulted in untold civilian casualties, including aid workers delivering food, property destruction, and large-scale displacement.”
OLLAA joins those members of the international community who have voiced their concern about the escalation of violence in Tigray and issued calls for peace, including the UN Secretary-General, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and members of the US government. OLLAA also calls on all parties to the conflict to ensure that they respect international human rights and humanitarian law, and to ensure that the lives and well-being of Tigrayan civilians are protected.
OLLAA is an umbrella organization that works in collaboration with dozens of Oromo communities around the world.