Narobi,Pretoria,London, March 6፡2025 (Tigray Herald)
Ethiopia’s Violation of the ICCPR: The Case of Tigray and Tigrayans
By Batseba Seifu
Ethiopia ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) on June 11, 1993, thereby committing to uphold the civil and political freedoms outlined in the treaty. However, during and after the genocidal war in Tigray (2020-2022), the Ethiopian government and its security forces have committed widespread human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and extrajudicial killings, disproportionately targeting Tigrayans. These actions represent serious violations of the ICCPR, particularly Articles 6 (Right to Life), 7 (Freedom from Torture), 9 (Liberty and Security of Person), and 16 (Recognition as a Person Before the Law) (United Nations, 1966).
Enforced Disappearances of Tigrayans
Enforced disappearances—where individuals are detained by state actors without acknowledgment of their whereabouts—have been widely reported in Ethiopia, particularly against Tigrayans.
A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report (2021) documented cases where Tigrayans in Addis Ababa were arbitrarily arrested and taken to undisclosed locations without access to legal representation or communication with their families. These disappearances violate Article 9 of the ICCPR, which states that “no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention” and that detained individuals must be informed of the reasons for their arrest (United Nations, 1966). In many cases, detainees vanished without a trace, with families left uncertain about their fate for months or even years (Human Rights Watch, 2021).
Systematic Arbitrary Detention
In addition to enforced disappearances, mass arbitrary detentions of Tigrayans have taken place. In November 2021, the Ethiopian government declared a state of emergency, which led to the rounding up of thousands of Tigrayans in Addis Ababa and other cities under vague national security allegations (Amnesty International, 2021).
According to The Advocates for Human Rights (2022), detainees were often imprisoned in overcrowded, inhumane conditions without trial. Many were never officially charged with any crime, making these detentions a clear violation of Article 9 (Right to Liberty and Security) of the ICCPR. Furthermore, reports indicate that security forces targeted individuals based solely on their Tigrayan identity, violating Article 2, which prohibits discrimination based on ethnicity (The Advocates for Human Rights, 2022).
Extrajudicial Killings and the Right to Life
The Ethiopian government’s security forces and allied militias have arbitrary executed Tigrayans in war zones and urban areas. The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR, 2021) reported that during the war in Tigray, mass killings of civilians occurred in Axum, Humera, and Mai Kadra, amounting to violations of Article 6 of the ICCPR, which guarantees the right to life.
A particularly egregious case was documented by Amnesty International (2021) in Axum, where Ethiopian and Eritrean forces executed hundreds of Tigrayan civilians in what witnesses described as “house-to-house massacres.” Survivors reported that security forces rounded up Tigrayan men, falsely accused them of supporting the TPLF (Tigray People’s Liberation Front), and summarily executed them (Amnesty International, 2021).
Ethiopia’s Failure to Uphold ICCPR Commitments
Despite Ethiopia’s obligations under the ICCPR, the government has failed to investigate or hold accountable those responsible for enforced disappearances, mass detentions, and extrajudicial killings. The Ethiopian government has often dismissed reports of abuses, claiming they are exaggerated or politically motivated (State Department, 2023). However, independent investigations by the UN, human rights organizations, and international media have repeatedly documented these widespread violations.
International Responses and Recommendations
To comply with its ICCPR obligations, Ethiopia must:
• Immediately cease enforced disappearances and arbitrary detentions of Tigrayans, which have continued unabetted.
• Investigate and prosecute security personnel involved in human rights violations.
• Grant international human rights organizations access to investigate abuses.
• Ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED).
Ethiopia’s actions against the Tigrayan population constitute severe violations of the ICCPR, undermining the right to life, liberty, and protection from discrimination. The failure to hold perpetrators accountable further erodes trust in the rule of law and human rights protections in the country. International pressure and continued advocacy are essential to ensure Ethiopia meets its ICCPR obligations and ends the systematic persecution of Tigrayans.
Bibliography
• Amnesty International (2021). “Ethiopia: Massacres in Axum by Eritrean Forces.” Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr25/3745/2021/en/
• Human Rights Watch (2021). “Ethiopia: Ethnic Tigrayans Forcibly Disappeared.” Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/08/18/ethiopia-ethnic-tigrayans-forcibly-disappeared
• The Advocates for Human Rights (2022). “Ethiopia: Human Rights Violations Against Tigrayans.” Retrieved from https://www.theadvocatesforhumanrights.org/Res/Ethiopia_HRC_Shadow_report.pdf
• OHCHR (2021). “Grave Human Rights Situation in Ethiopia.” Retrieved from https://www.ohchr.org/en/2021/12/grave-human-rights-situation-ethiopia
• U.S. State Department (2023). “2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Ethiopia.” Retrieved from https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/ethiopia/
• United Nations (1966). “International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.” Retrieved from https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/ccpr.aspx
United Nations Human Rights
