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International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia

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The International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE) was established by the UN Human Rights Council in December 2021.[1] The mandate of the commission is to investigate allegations of violations and abuses of international human rights law, humanitarian law and refugee law in Ethiopia committed since 3 November 2020 by all parties to the conflict.[2] The Commission comprises three human rights experts and is appointed for a renewable one-year term. In October 2022 at the Human Rights Council's 51st session, the Commission's mandate was extended to December 2023.[1]

Creation, aims and termination

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On 3 November 2021, the report of the joint investigation undertaken by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission indicated that serious human rights violations had continued to be committed by all parties in a number of regions of Ethiopia since the end of the period under investigation, i.e. after the unilateral ceasefire declared by the Ethipian government on 28 June 2021; hence the need for further investigations.[3]

On 17 December 2021, the United Nations Human Rights Council reacted to that report by adopting resolution S-33/1. The resolution established the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE) with the aim of complementing the work of the joint investigative team.[4] ICHREE's mandate includes conducting an impartial investigation into allegations of violations and abuses of international human rights law, humanitarian law and refugee law in Ethiopia committed since 3 November 2020 by all parties to the conflict, providing guidance on transitional justice, and making recommendations to the Government of Ethiopia while engaging with all relevant stakeholders.[4]

The Ethiopian federal government twice made United Nations General Assembly proposals to stop funding ICHREE.[5]

In October 2022, the Human Rights Council renewed the mandate of ICHREE to continue to monitor and document crimes under international law and human rights violations.[6][7]

During a session of the Human Rights Council in late 2023, ICHREE members requested the HRC to extend ICHREE's mandate, stating that the Eritrean Defence Forces continued to rape and enslave women in Tigray, and that extrajudicial executions and mass detentions were ongoing in Amhara Region. ICHREE member Steven R. Ratner stated, "There is a very real and imminent risk that the situation will deteriorate further, and it is incumbent upon the international community to ensure that investigations persist so human rights violations can be addressed, and the worst tragedies averted." An EU diplomat stated that the EU had agreed to led the mandate expire. As of 4 October 2023, the mandate was expected to expire, as no proposal to extend the mandate had been made during by the required deadline.[8]

Members and structure

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ICHREE is composed by three experts. As of December 2022, the members were Mohamed Chande Othman (Chair), Steven R. Ratner and Radhika Coomaraswamy. Former members are Kaari Betty Murungi (Chair) and Fatou Bensouda.[9]

Actions

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See also: War crimes in the Tigray War

September 2022 report

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On 19 September 2022, ICHREE submitted a report with its initial findings to the Human Rights Council.[10] According to the report, there were grounds to believe that extrajudicial killings, sexual violence and starvation of the civilian population as a method of warfare had been committed in Ethiopia since 3 November 2020.[11][12]

In attributing likely criminal responsibility to the different parties in the conflict, the September 2022 report "found reasonable grounds to believe that the Federal Government (of Ethiopia) and its allies had committed crimes against humanity" and that the Ethiopian government and its allies had used famine as a weapon of war.[13] The report attributed serious human rights abuses to the Tigrayan forces, some of which were likely war crimes.[13]

Ethiopia's UN ambassador, Taye Atske Selassie, said that the report was "incoherent and sketchy" and was intended to increase political pressures against his government.[14]

March 2023 statement

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At the March 2023 52nd Session of the Human Rights Council, the chair of the ICHREE said that it welcomed the Ethiopia–Tigray peace agreement and hoped that a green paper titled "Policy Options for Transitional Justice" would contribute to the processes of transitional justice. The chair stated that the ICHREE was continuing to investigate war crimes and human rights violations by all parties, including Eritrean forces. The chair stated that the ICHREE had requested access for its investigation team to Ethiopian territory several times and had been refused. The chair stated that the ICHREE was in contact with the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the East Africa Region Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for "cooperation and information sharing".[15]

September/October 2023 reports

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ICHREE published a 21-page report in September 2023[16] and an 84-page more detailed report in October 2023.[17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia". OHCHR. Archived from the original on 2023-09-14. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  2. ^ "Q & A: Renewal of the Mandate of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE)". Human Rights Watch. 2022-09-27. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
  3. ^ "Report of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC)/Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Joint Investigation into Alleged Violations of International Human Rights, Humanitarian and Refugee Law Committed by all Parties - Ethiopia | ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. 3 Nov 2021. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  4. ^ a b "Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 17 December 2021" (PDF). undocs.org. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
  5. ^ Aaron Maasho; Martin Witteveen (27 February 2024). "Ethiopia's Reconciliation Policy Is a Farce". Foreign Policy. ISSN 0015-7228. Wikidata Q124680868. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Ethiopia: UNHRC decision underscores critical need to continue monitoring human rights abuses". Amnesty International. 2022-10-07. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  7. ^ "Welcoming Renewal of the Mandate for the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  8. ^ Jamey Keaten; Rodney Muhumuza (4 October 2023), UN-backed probe into Ethiopia's abuses is set to end. No one has asked for it to continue, Associated Press, Wikidata Q124059881, archived from the original on 1 January 2024
  9. ^ "OHCHR | International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia". OHCHR. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  10. ^ "ID: Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia - 18th Meeting, 51st Regular Session of Human Rights Council | UN Web TV". media.un.org. 22 September 2022. Archived from the original on 2023-11-12. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  11. ^ "UN experts warn of potential for further atrocities amid resumption of conflict in Ethiopia". OHCHR. 19 September 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  12. ^ "Oral Statement to the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia". Human Rights Watch. 2022-09-22. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  13. ^ a b International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia finds reasonable grounds to believe that the federal government has committed crimes against humanity in Tigray region and that Tigrayan forces have committed serious human rights abuses, some amounting to war crimes, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 22 September 2022, Wikidata Q122538801, archived from the original on 14 September 2023
  14. ^ "UN Rights Experts Warn Atrocities Will Grow in Ethiopia's Tigray Without Peace". VOA. 28 October 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  15. ^ International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (21 March 2023), Statement of the Chairperson and Members of the UN International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia, at the 52nd Human Rights Council Session, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Wikidata Q117737293, archived from the original on 4 April 2023
  16. ^ International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (14 September 2023), Report of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (PDF), Wikidata Q124059821, archived (PDF) from the original on 1 January 2024
  17. ^ International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (13 October 2023), Comprehensive investigative findings and legal determinations (PDF), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Wikidata Q124059660, archived (PDF) from the original on 31 December 2023
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