UN expresses grave concern as Ethiopia airstrikes kill 108 people in 2022; over 75 injured

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) expressed grave concern over the repeated airstrikes in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. According to the statement released by the OHCHR, at least 108 civilians have reportedly been killed and 75 others injured since the year began, as a result of airstrikes allegedly being carried out by the Ethiopian air force. The UN agency highlighted how the airstrike killed a 72-year-old man on Wednesday and killed three men and injured 21 persons after the state-owned Technical Vocational Education and Training institute was hit by the airstrike. The deadliest airstrike so far, which hit the Dedebit IDP camp on January 7, left at least 56 people dead and 30 others wounded.

The UN agency said that numerous other airstrikes were reported last week, hitting a private minibus travelling from Adiet to Axum city, Shire airport, Mai-Aini refugee camp and other areas.

“We call on the Ethiopian authorities and their allies to ensure the protection of civilians and civilian objects, in line with their obligations under international law. Any attack, including airstrikes, should fully respect the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack,” said the statement released by OHCHR.

“In particular, parties to the conflict must take all feasible measures to verify that targets are indeed military objectives and suspend an attack if it becomes apparent that the target is not a military objective or that the attack would be disproportionate. Failure to respect the principles of distinction and proportionality could amount to war crimes,” added the statement.

OHCHR expresses displeasure over arbitrary arrests and detention amid the state of emergency

It is worth mentioning that the country has been struggling hard since Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s registered a landslide victory in the Parliamentary elections that concluded last year. Amid the deteriorating situation in the country, PM Ahmed vowed to lead the country’s fight against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) “from the battlefront”. While announcing a dramatic new step in a devastating year-long war, the Prime Minister said that he would join the Ethiopian Army in November last year. Subsequently, PM Abiy Ahmed declared a state of emergency last month to control the situation. However, irrespective of his claim, the ethnic community alleged that the authorities are arresting people including priests, women and children.

“We are also concerned by the continuing arbitrary arrests and detention amid the state of emergency,” said the OHCHR statement. “While we welcome the recent release of several high-profile individuals, including key opposition figures who had been in detention for many months, we remain concerned that many more people – at least hundreds – remain indefinitely detained in appalling conditions and without being brought before a court of law or other tribunals to review the reasons for their detention, among other violations of procedural guarantees,” the UN agency noted.