THE United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has called for urgent de-escalation in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, warning of a deepening human rights crisis fueled by recent clashes between government forces and regional militias.
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva that fighting between the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) and Tigray Security Forces (TSF) intensified on January 26, particularly in Tselemti and Laelay Tselemti near the Amhara border. The TSF withdrew from Tselemti on February 1, but both sides deployed drones, artillery, and heavy weapons, leading to arrests and detentions for alleged affiliations with the opposing group.
“Recent fighting… has highlighted the risk of a deepening human rights crisis in the north of the country,” Shamdasani said, quoting Türk. She described the situation as “highly volatile,” with civilians caught in the crossfire and risks of further deterioration in the region’s already precarious humanitarian conditions.
Clashes persist in southern and southeastern Tigray near the Afar border between the TSF and the rival Tigray Peace Forces. Over a million people remain internally displaced from the 2020-2022 Tigray war, which killed untold thousands and uprooted more than two million, according to varying estimates.
“There must be concerted and sustained efforts by all parties, with the help of the international community, to de-escalate tensions before it is too late,” Türk said via Shamdasani. “Political dialogue and confidence-building measures are urgently needed – not renewed resort to armed violence.”
Türk also voiced alarm over rising Ethiopia-Eritrea tensions, which could worsen human rights challenges across the Horn of Africa. He demanded prompt, independent probes into alleged violations by any party.
