Human rights situation in Ethiopia deteriorates as humanitarian crisis continues

The United Nations expressed its concern today over the deteriorating human rights situation in some regions of Ethiopia. In Amhara region, following a flare-up in clashes between the Ethiopian military and the regional Fano militia, and the declaration of a state of emergency in early August, the situation has worsened considerably. According to information gathered by the UN Human Rights Office, at least 183 people have been killed in clashes since July.

At the same time, Ethiopia continues to face huge humanitarian challenges, with conflict, displacement, drought, floods, and disease outbreaks as the main drivers of need. These challenges are creating a complex and volatile situation affecting more than 28 million people in need of humanitarian assistance this year.

Federal government forces and a regional militia that fought on the same side during the brutal war in the Tigray region have been fighting each other for the past four months. Amhara militia known as Fano fought alongside the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) against Tigrayan forces during the war that ended last November.

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said Tuesday the wide-ranging state of emergency gave the authorities broad powers nationwide, to arrest suspects without a court order, impose curfews and ban public gatherings. 

“We have received reports that more than 1,000 people have been arrested across Ethiopia under this law. Many of those detained were reported to be young people of Amhara ethnic origin suspected of being Fano supporters”, said Marta Hurtado, OHCHR spokesperson.

“Since early August, mass house-to-house searches have reportedly been taking place, and at least three Ethiopian journalists covering the situation in the Amhara region have been detained. Detainees have reportedly been placed in improvised detention centers that lack basic amenities.”

Clashes between the federal government and Fano were sparked in April when the government ordered the militia to integrate with the country’s police or military following the peace agreement in Tigray. The government then decided to impose the state of emergency on August 4, which was enacted to deal with the situation in the Amhara region but could be applied throughout the country. The enactment of the state of emergency meant the clashes got worse.

OHCHR called on the authorities to stop mass arrests, ensure that any deprivation of liberty was judicially reviewed, and to release those arbitrarily detained. 

“Authorities must ensure that conditions of detention comply with international norms and standards. We call on them to allow oversight bodies – including the UN Human Rights Office and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission – regular and unconditional access to all places of detention”, the spokesperson said.

The UN Human Rights Office has also received allegations that at least 250 ethnic Tigrayans were detained in the disputed area of Western Tigray, reportedly in joint operations by the Amhara police, local authorities and local militia, including armed youth from Wolkait. 

Responding to questions from journalists, Hurtado said the situation was very complicated.   While clashes flared up in July through to August, the Amhara militias then moved to occupy more rural areas and the government currently controlled most of the big towns and cities in the region. 

“With federal forces reasserting their presence in certain towns and Fano militias reportedly retreating into rural areas, we call on all actors to stop killings, other violations and abuses. Grievances must be addressed through dialogue and political process”, Hurtado said.

The UN Human Rights Office Amid added that amid continued allegations of human rights violations and abuses, the situation in Oromia region was also of concern.

Last week, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that the situation in the Amhara region had largely stabilized after weeks of fighting, even in the main towns. 

But civilians in the region have yet to recover from two years of conflict in northern Ethiopia that has affected lives and livelihoods. Over 580,000 women, men, and children in Amhara are still internally displaced. The recent hostilities will most likely exacerbate the plight of civilians, especially given the limited humanitarian response that has stalled as a result of insecurity in the region. 

According to OCHA, ongoing hostilities in western Oromia continue to displace thousands of civilians and are impacting humanitarian operations. More than 1 million women, men, and children are currently internally displaced due to conflict in the region.

Tension and violence in the Oromia region have led to an alarming number of casualties and an extremely concerning overall situation. The Ethiopian government blames a rebel group, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), for the violence. However, the response of government forces has worsened the precarious situation. Fighting between the OLA and Ethiopian National Defence Forces has been going on for four years.

The compounded effects of climatic shocks, conflict, and related displacement continue to generate high levels of humanitarian need across Ethiopia, with some 28.6 million people requiring aid in 2023. A historic drought and war in northern Ethiopia — which both began in 2020 — in addition to disease outbreaks, and intercommunal conflict have contributed to elevated needs across the country.

Although peace returned to northern Ethiopia in late 2022 with the signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) and better humanitarian access to Tigray and the neighboring regions of Afar and Amhara, needs remain high due to the two-year conflict.

As of June 2023, more than 4.38 million people were internally displaced in Ethiopia, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). While Ethiopia's Somali region hosts the highest number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) primarily displaced due to drought (543,000 people), Tigray region hosts the highest number of IDPs primarily displaced due to conflict (1 million people). 

The main causes of displacement across Ethiopia are conflict (2.9 million IDPs), drought (811,000 IDPs) and social tension (324,000 IDPs). 

According to the World Food Programme (WFP), 9.4 million people in the Tigray, Afar, and Amhara regions are in need of food assistance due to the impact of the conflict. 11.8 million people nationwide are suffering severe hunger due to the drought and require emergency food assistance. 

The United Nations 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Ethiopia calls for $4 billion. As of August, the HRP is only 27 percent funded.

Further information

Full text: Ethiopia: Deteriorating human rights situation, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Press briefing note, published August 29, 2023
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-briefing-notes/2023/08/ethiopia-deteriorating-human-rights-situation