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Joint Statement in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia
6 MINUTE READ
September 13, 2021

Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the High Commissioner’s Oral Update on the Situation of Human Rights in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia

Joint Statement Delivered by the Delegation of the United States of America

Human Rights Council – 48th Session 

September 13, 2021

As Delivered by Bob Riley, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission

Madame High Commissioner, this statement is delivered on behalf of 48 countries.

We underscore the importance of your joint investigation and call for the report to be released without delay.

We remain gravely concerned by ongoing violence in northern Ethiopia.  The Ethiopian government and regional authorities’ cutting off of Tigray – and the TPLF’s expansion of the conflict into neighboring regions – have caused a humanitarian catastrophe.

We are deeply concerned by numerous reports of Eritrean Defense Forces’ engagement in serious human rights abuses, and we call on them to withdraw immediately.

We are deeply concerned about the killing of civilians and humanitarian workers, as well as sexual and gender-based violence and attacks on Eritrean refugees and displaced persons in Ethiopia.

Those responsible for human rights violations and abuses and violations of international humanitarian law must be held accountable.

We call on all parties immediately to allow and facilitate safe, rapid, and unimpeded humanitarian access.

We also urge the Ethiopian government and TPLF to enter ceasefire negotiations without preconditions.

Will you brief the Council on the findings of the report once it is released?  Thank you.

 

  1. United States of America
  2. Albania
  3. Australia
  4. Austria
  5. Belgium
  6. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  7. Bulgaria
  8. Chile
  9. Costa Rica
  10. Croatia
  11. Cyprus
  12. Czech Republic
  13. Denmark
  14. Ecuador
  15. Estonia
  16. Finland
  17. France
  18. Germany
  19. Greece
  20. Hungary
  21. Iceland
  22. Ireland
  23. Italy
  24. Japan
  25. Latvia
  26. Liechtenstein
  27. Lithuania
  28. Luxembourg
  29. Malta
  30. Marshall Islands
  31. Mexico
  32. Monaco
  33. Montenegro
  34. Netherlands
  35. New Zealand
  36. North Macedonia
  37. Norway
  38. Poland
  39. Portugal
  40. Republic of Korea
  41. Romania
  42. Slovakia
  43. Slovenia
  44. Spain
  45. Sweden
  46. Switzerland
  47. Ukraine
  48. United Kingdom