Amnesty International accuses TPLF rebel fighters of gang raping women in Ethiopia
Ladies from the Amhara city of Nifas Mewcha informed Amnesty that fighters related to the Tigray Individuals’s Liberation Entrance (TPLF), which has been combating Ethiopia’s central authorities in a year-long conflict within the nation’s north, dedicated widespread rape and sexual violence in mid-August.
CNN has not interviewed the ladies and can’t independently confirm the claims.
“The testimonies we heard from survivors describe despicable acts by TPLF fighters that quantity to conflict crimes, and doubtlessly crimes towards humanity. They defy morality or any iota of humanity,” stated Agnès Callamard, Amnesty Worldwide’s secretary normal.
In keeping with Amnesty’s interviews, one girl, a 30-year-old meals vendor within the city, claimed TPLF fighters raped her in entrance of her youngsters, slapped and kicked her earlier than taking meals gadgets from her home.
“Three of them raped me whereas my youngsters had been crying,” she informed Amnesty Worldwide. They slapped me [and] kicked me,” she stated. “They had been cocking their weapons as if they will shoot me.”
TPLF spokesman Getachew Reda on Wednesday denied the allegations and referred to as for an unbiased investigation. Getachew informed CNN by cellphone that whereas the TPLF took the allegations “very severely,” he believed they had been “principally groundless, as a result of our forces don’t indulge within the very practices of our enemy forces.”
In addition to the assaults, Amnesty reported that the ladies had been denigrated utilizing ethnic slurs similar to ‘donkey Amhara’ and ‘grasping Amhara’ and had been unable to hunt medical help after their assaults as a result of the non-governmental group that gives care has left the area on account of safety issues.
In a press release final week, UN Secretary-Common António Guterres referred to as for unrestricted humanitarian entry to Tigray, Amhara and Afar. The UN additionally stated no assist convoys with provides had been in a position to enter Tigray since mid-October.
In August, a separate Amnesty Worldwide report detailed widespread rape and sexual violence carried out by troops and militias aligned with the Ethiopian authorities, together with the Amhara Regional Police Particular Power and Fano, an Amhara militia. To conduct the report, Amnesty interviewed medical professionals and 63 survivors of sexual violence between March and June 2021.
CNN has not beforehand reported accusations of sexual violence by TPLF fighters throughout the present battle.