What’s new? War rages on in Ethiopia’s Tigray region – with civilians bearing the brunt of a brutal conflict marked by atrocities. Under international pressure, Addis Ababa has offered concessions on aid access and pledged that Eritrean troops will withdraw. But prospects of a negotiated settlement appear dim.
Why does it matter? An entrenched Tigrayan resistance combined with Ethiopian and Eritrean authorities’ determination to keep Tigray’s fugitive leaders from power mean that the conflict could evolve into a protracted war. That would further devastate Tigray and greatly harm Ethiopia, the linchpin state in the Horn of Africa.
What should be done? With a decisive battlefield win for either side a remote prospect, parties should consider a cessation of hostilities that allows for expanded humanitarian aid access. This practical first step would reduce civilian suffering and ideally pave the way for a return to dialogue down the road.
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Women and girls in northern Ethiopia’s turbulent Tigray region face worsening sexual attacks and “cruelty beyond comprehension”, a UN official said on Wednesday in talks on gender-based crimes in warzones.
Pramila Patten, the UN envoy on sexual violence in conflict, told diplomats that violence against women in war-torn parts of Ethiopia, Syria, Yemen, Myanmar and other global hotspots had worsened amid the coronavirus pandemic.
She made her comments during an address to the UN Security Council on her latest report, which described dozens of armed groups using mass rape and other forms of gender-based violence as a “cruel tactic of war” and a tool of political repression.
Ethiopian Embassy Rejects Unfounded Report of Swedish Paper on Tigray msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Reporting Sexual Violence Monthly News Brief - February 2021
Format
Africa
Democratic Republic of the Congo
02 February 2021: In Kihome village, Beni territory, North Kivu province, a two year-old girl was abducted, raped and killed by unidentified armed men. Source: ACLED
03 February 2021: In Charwika village, Rutshuru territory, North Kivu province, a woman was kidnapped and raped by the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda and affiliated the Abacunguzi Fighting Forces (FDLR-FOCA) who demanded a ransom for the hostage’s release. Source: Kivu Security
06 February 2021: In Shonyi village, Rutshuri territory, North Kivu province, a woman was raped by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) during clashes with the Nyatura Forces de Défense du Peuple (FDP) under the CMC (Coalition of Movements for Change) alliance in the village. Source: Kivu Security
The U.S. and its G7 allies are concerned about recent reports of human rights violations and abuses and violations of international humanitarian law in the Tigray province of Ethiopia.