UN: All Warring Sides Committing Atrocities In Ethiopia

Facts

• The UN Commission of Human Rights Experts for Ethiopia reportedly said on Monday that it had found evidence of widespread atrocities committed by all sides in Ethiopia since fighting broke out in the northern Tigray region in November 2020.
• UN investigators also claimed that there's sufficient evidence to believe that the Ethiopian government has committed "war crimes and crimes against humanity," and warned of further atrocities amid a recent resurgence of hostilities.
• Commission chair Kaari Betty Murungi also blamed the federal government for deliberately blocking access to food, medical care, and humanitarian aid, and accused Addis Ababa of using "starvation as a method of warfare." She also called on Tigrayan forces to ensure the unhindered work of humanitarian organizations.
• The report comes a week after the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) announced that it was ready for peace talks led by the African Union (AU). They had initially rejected any AU mediation and demanded the restoration of services such as banking and communications in Tigray as a precondition for talks.
• In August, the conflict between the Ethiopian government and the TPLF in Tigray resumed after a five-month ceasefire collapsed. Both sides have blamed each other for the renewed outbreak of violence, raising fears of further escalation.
• The nearly two-year-long conflict is believed to have killed tens of thousands of people, while millions have reportedly been internally displaced in Ethiopia's Tigray, Amhara, and Afar regions.

Sources: France24, Al Jazeera, RFI, CNN, BBC News, and Washington Post.

Narratives

• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Borkena. The human suffering in northern Ethiopia isn't primarily the fault of the democratically-elected Ethiopian government. Addis Ababa has repeatedly offered peace talks and declared a humanitarian ceasefire, yet these efforts have been consistently undermined by the TPLF. By unilaterally taking sides with the TPLF, the West is complicit in this destabilizing conflict and the suffering of Ethiopians.
• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Ethiopia Insight. While the Ethiopian government presents itself as the victim of a larger conspiracy, Addis Ababa is responsible for the latest resumption of fighting and widespread suffering. Even the supposed "humanitarian ceasefire" served Addis Ababa only by giving the army some breathing room. Abiy Ahmed's government isn't aligned with the international community and has no real interest in peace.
• Cynical narrative, as provided by Washington Post. Both sides are to blame here, as civilians suffer the most in this conflict. Human rights abuses have been committed by both the central Ethiopian government and Tigrayan rebels, including war crimes and crimes against humanity. Even though the number of casualties in Ethiopia's war dwarfs those of other conflicts, the media has consistently ignored the suffering of the Ethiopian people.