Rape has “without a doubt” taken place during the conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, a government minister said, corroborating eyewitness reports and warnings from the UN. The statement Thursday night from women’s minister Filsan Abdullahi Ahmed marks the first official acknowledgement of crimes activists fear have been widespread. A government taskforce “unfortunately established rape has taken place conclusively and without a doubt,” Filsan said on Twitter. The UN said last month it had received “disturbing” reports of sexual violence in Tigray, including of individuals forced to rape members of their own family. “It’s really, really hard to talk about in terms of numbers and to verify rape anywhere.

Source: Ethiopian News February 12, 2021 13:41 UTC