Sexual violence use as weapon of war in Ethiopia’s Tigray – UN

A UN official, Mark Lowcock, reported that sexual violence was being used as a weapon of war in Ethiopia’s Tigray.

The UN aid chief told the Security Council on Friday prompting the U.S. envoy to challenge the body’s silence, asking: “Do African lives not matter as much as those experiencing conflict in other countries?”

Lowcock said: “There is no doubt that sexual violence is being used in this conflict as a weapon of war, adding the majority of rapes were committed by men in uniform, with accusations made against all the warring parties.

“Nearly a quarter of reports received by one agency involve gang rape, with multiple men assaulting the victim; in some cases, women have been repeatedly raped over a period of days. Girls as young as eight are being targeted.’’

He said the humanitarian crisis in Tigray had deteriorated over the past month with challenges to aid access and people dying of hunger.

According to him, the world body had not seen any proof that soldiers from neighbouring Eritrea accused of massacres and killings in Tigray have withdrawn.

Lowcock said “to be very clear: the conflict is not over and things are not improving,’’ according to his notes for the private briefing, which was requested by the United States.

U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield noted that the bbriefing was the fifth private council meeting since fighting between Ethiopia’s federal government troops and Tigray’s former ruling party began in November, according to diplomats familiar with her remarks.

“The Security Council has been unified on Syria, Yemen and even on Burma, where we were able to come together to release a statement.

“We are asking the council to reconsider a statement on Ethiopia. Victims need to know the Security Council cares about this conflict.’’

The council has so far been unable to agree on a public statement on Tigray, with Western countries pitted against Russia and China.

However, diplomats question whether the body charged with maintaining international peace and security should be involved in the crisis.

The conflict has killed thousands of people and forced thousands more from their homes in the mountainous region of about 5 million.

Eritrea has been helping Ethiopian troops, although Eritrea has repeatedly denied its forces are in Tigray.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has acknowledged the Eritrean presence, and the UN and the United States have demanded that Eritrean troops withdraw from Tigray.

However, Lowcock said “neither the UN nor any of the humanitarian agencies we work with have seen proof of Eritrean withdrawal’’.

Lowcock said he had received a report earlier on Thursday that 150 people had died from hunger in Tigray and warned that “starvation as a weapon of war is a violation”.

Dr Fasika Amdeselassie, the top public health official for the government-appointed interim administration in Tigray, told Reuters that at least 829 cases of sexual assault had been reported at five hospitals since the conflict began.

Ethiopia’s UN ambassador, Taye Atskeselassie Amde, told Reuters the government was investigating all rights violations.

He accused Lowcock of “behaving not like a humanitarian but a nemesis determined to exact some kind of retribution”.

“Human rights violations are too serious and grave to be subjected to speculations.

“It is unfortunate the head of OCHA (the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) resorted to such an act before the UN Security Council. There is no gap in humanitarian access.”

Eritrea’s UN mission in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Lowcock’s remarks.

In May, Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel said that sexual violence and rape “are an abomination to Eritrean society” and should be harshly punished if they occurred.