Ethiopia: Victims ‘left in limbo’ as rights probe mandate ends

The independent rights investigators’ final report comes as their mandate ended on Friday, coinciding with the end of the UN Human Rights Council’s 54th session, leaving victims in limbo. Steven Rather, an expert on the Commission, described the termination of the mandate as a “great blow” to victims seeking justice. This includes mass killings, widespread and systematic rape, sexual violence - including sexual slavery, deliberate starvation, forced displacement, and large-scale arbitrary detentions, all of which constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. Some Tigray forces are also culpable for war crimes, including killings, widespread rape and sexual violence, destruction of property, and looting. He called on the international community, including regional actors, to not forget the victims of the brutal conflict.