Dutch women of Tigray descent protested yesterday at International Women's Day rallies in The Hague to draw international attention to the ongoing Tigray genocide and weaponized rape women in Tigray are facing. The demonstrators asked for the investigation of atrocities, violations of international law against humanity and for the perpetrators, the invading Ethiopia and Eritrea soldiers and the neighboring Amhara militias, to be brought to justice.
- Dutch women of Tigray descent protested yesterday at International Women's Day rallies in The Hague
Below is the full content of the petition submitted to the International Criminal Court at The Hague, The Netherlands
To: Information and Evidence Unit Office of the Prosecutor
International Criminal Court at The Hague, The Netherlands
Subject: Requesting the investigation of atrocities & violations of international law against humanity in Tigray
Dear Sir/Madam
We, women members of the Tigrayan community in The Netherlands, demonstrate & write this letter to bring to your attention on the ongoing civil war in Ethiopian’s Tigray region and to kindly implore you to use your office to avert an ongoing catastrophe.
On November 4, 2020, the unelected Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, declared war on the elected regional government of Tigray. The war waged on nearly 7 million people of Tigray by the joined forces of the Ethiopian, Eritrean, Somalian militaries together with the Amhara regional forces. The war has multifaceted attacks on the people and infrastructure of Tigray through use of heavy artillery, ground forces, airstrikes and high-tech drone attacks supported by UAE leading to unprecedented and massive destruction of lives and property. The joined forces have engaged in widespread mass and arbitrary killings of thousands of civilians, raping of women, looting and deliberate destruction of hospitals, Universities, public and private factories and infrastructures including prized cultural and religious institutions and artifacts.
On February 26, 2021, Amnesty International released a report regarding the Axum Massacre that occurred between November 19 and 29, 2020. According to the report, Eritrean troops operating in the Ethiopian city of Axum, Tigray, committed a series of human rights and humanitarian law violations, including killing hundreds of civilians. The report includes satellite imagery analysis conducted by Amnesty’s Crisis Evidence Lab which corroborates reports of indiscriminate shelling and mass looting, and points out signs of new mass burial sites near two of the city’s churches. The Amnesty report concludes that the indiscriminate shelling of Axum by Ethiopian and Eritrean troops may amount to war crimes, and that the mass execution of Axum civilians by Eritrean troops may amount to crimes against humanity.
Although the report gives a detailed account of crimes committed in one city, its accounts are only the tip of the iceberg regarding the extent and severity of crimes being committed in the war in Tigray. Reportedly more than 50,000 civilians have died, over 60,000 Tigrayans have fled into Sudan, over 500,000 Tigrayans are internally displaced, and 4.5 million Tigrayans are at risk of starvation. There have also been countless reports of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) by Ethiopian and Eritrean forces. Further, the war has crippled the region’s healthcare infrastructure, affecting over 6 million people. Over 80 percent of hospitals in Tigray are defunct because they have been looted, bombed, or now lack medical staff, and most lifesaving medicines are not available.
With the support of the Eritrean military, the Ethiopian government has cut off the entire Tigray region by instating a complete communications blackout, and proceeded to commit heinous crimes in the dark. The extremely cruel impact on civilians has been compounded by the blockade of basic survival supplies including food, water, medicine, electricity and fuel. Aid agencies are unable to reach 80 percent of Tigray’s population. Internet services have been consistently down and telephone services mostly cut off, with sporadic connectivity across Tigray. The government has severely limited financial services in Tigray, preventing Tigrayans from accessing their own funds and deliberately exposing them to mass starvation. The Ethiopian government has largely restricted local and international media agencies from entering Tigray.
There are reports of widespread massacres committed by the Ethiopian National Defense Force, Amhara militias, Eritrean Forces, and Amhara Special Forces at Maykadra, Dansha, Humera, Shire, Axum, Zalanbesa, Adigrat, Hawzen, Wukro, Edaga-Hamus, Negash, Mekelle, Abiy-Adi, Workamba, Samre, Gijet and their surrounding areas. There have been uncontested crimes of genocide inside Tigray, as actors such as Amhara militias and Eritrean soldiers, explicitly stated their purpose in the war was to exterminate Tigrayans. Tigrayan refugees that escaped into Sudan also reported being ethnically targeted during massacres as soldiers would repeatedly claim their intention was to exterminate Tigrayans. Additionally, there have been reports of pre-genocidal acts and policies perpetrated by government officials against ethnic-Tigrayans in Addis Ababa. Thousands of Tigrayans have reportedly been detained just in the capital.
Furthermore, the Ethiopian government is working tirelessly to silence Tigrayans who are exposing the atrocities being committed in Tigray. Tigrayans are being tortured and abused in connection with their interaction with journalists. There are also disturbing reports coming from Mekelle that English translators for the seven media outlets currently in Tigray have been kidnaped, tortured and abused. Tigrayan journalists who have reported on the atrocities being committed in Tigray have also been targeted and arrested in Addis Ababa.
The Ethiopian and Eritrean governments are committing war crimes, crimes of genocide, and crimes against humanity. Eritrea continues to deny involvement in the war on Tigray amid mounting evidence, and PM Abiy has opposed any international mediation efforts despite repeated calls to cease hostilities and engage in a dialogue for a peaceful resolution of the conflict. It is imperative that the United Nations Security Council refer the atrocities happening in Tigray to the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in accordance with Article 13(b) of the Rome Statute and Chapter VII of the UN Charter.
Therefore, we plead with you to:
1. Push for the deployment of a UN-led investigation into all atrocities and violations of international law, especially
crimes of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Tigray.
2. Refer war crimes including torture, mutilation, looting, execution without trial, and violations of human dignity,
such as rape, during the war on Tigray to the Prosecutor of the ICC.
3. Refer crimes of genocide committed with the intent to destroy Tigrayan identity to the Prosecutor of the ICC.
4. Refer crimes against humanity committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against Tigrayans in Tigray and in other parts of Ethiopia to the Prosecutor of the ICC.
In the press reports (reference below), you will find more information about the complex background of the conflict and the severity and magnitude of the humanitarian crisis that is currently unfolding in Tigray, Ethiopia. Unfortunately, this is largely done out of the sight of the international media as all communication channels are blocked in the region.
Respectfully,
Women Members of The Tigrayans community in The Netherlands
Some References:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/ ... -humanity/
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/26/afri ... sacre-intl
https://www.eepa.be//wp-content/uploads ... gerFIN.pdf
https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/12/1080622
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-55530355