GENEVA
The UN human rights chief on Tuesday called on all parties to take urgent steps towards de-escalation amid what he described as a precarious situation in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.
Recent fighting between the Ethiopian army and regional forces has highlighted the risk of a deepening human rights crisis in the north of the country, according to the human rights office.
“The situation remains highly volatile, and we fear it will further deteriorate, worsening the region’s already precarious human rights and humanitarian situation,” Volker Turk said in a statement.
Clashes between the Ethiopian National Defence Forces and the regional Tigray Security Forces intensified on Jan. 26, particularly in Tselemti and Laelay Tselemti near the Amhara border. The Tigray forces later withdrew from the area. Drones, artillery and other powerful weapons were used by both sides, with several arrests and detentions reported, the office said.
“Civilians are once again caught in between escalating tensions, with both TSF (Tigray Security Forces) and ENDF (Ethiopian National Defence Forces) reportedly carrying out arrests for perceived affiliation with the opposing side. This must stop,” Turk stressed.
Fighting has also continued in the south and south-east of the region near the Afar border between the Tigray forces and a rival faction.
More than one million civilians remain internally displaced from the 2020-2022 conflict, which left many dead and uprooted more than two million people.
“There must be concerted and sustained efforts by all parties, with the help of the international community, to de-escalate tensions before it is too late. Political dialogue and confidence-building measures are urgently needed — not renewed resort to armed violence,” Turk said.
“Both sides must step back from the brink and work to resolve their differences through political means.”
