Mass rape, forced pregnancy and sexual torture in Tigray amount to crimes against humanity – report | Global development
Hundreds of health workers in Tigray have documented the rape, sexual slavery, forced pregnancy and sexual torture of women and women in systematic attacks, which mean crimes against humanity by hundreds of health workers in Tigray.
ResearchIt represents the most comprehensive documents of armed sexual violence in Tigray, compiled by the Human Rights Physicians and African Horn in the Horn of Africa (OJAH). He reviewed the medical records of more than 500 patients, the research of 600 health workers, and in -depth interviews with doctors, nurses, psychiatrists and community leaders.
The authors summarize the evidence of systematic attacks designed to destroy the fertility of Tigrayan women and call for international organs to investigate the crime of genocide.
Fast guide
What was the conflict in Tigray, who was fighting and why?
To show
Where is Tigray?
Tigray lies in the west with Sudan along the southern border of Eritrea in the north of the 11 regional provinces of Ethiopia.
How did the war begin?
In November 2020, years of tensions exploded. Ethiopia’s federal elections delayed hostilities by delaying the Abiy Ahmed, Tigray’s ruling party’s state capital, the state capital of Mekelle claimed that the military camp. He sent troops to overthrow the government government and ordered a communication darkening.
Who included?
The invasion has become a common effort between the three parties: Ethiopia, Eritrea and Tigray’s neighboring Amhara province. Ethiopia’s Prime Minister rejected the existence of Eritrea troops in Tigray for months, but despite the fact that the country has established an alliance with the old enemy to mobilize the armies of both nations. Amhara’s long-standing regional disputes with Tigray and their own tensions with the federal government sent troops. On the other hand, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the ruling party in Tigray’s regional government, established and mobilized his own army when the war began, and militias from ethnically marginalized Oromo people joined.
Why are they fighting?
Each side has a complex history of dispute. Ethiopia has a federal system and historically, states have maintained a high level of autonomy. Tigray’s ruling party TPLF was a dominant force in national politics and led the coalition that ruled Ethiopia for thirty years until 2018. When Abiy Ahmed was elected Prime Minister in April 2018, he lost most of the group power and began to grow a political crack between TPLF and Abiy’s administration. Eritrea and Amhara have long regional disputes with Tigray. During the twenty years of the Ethiopian-Ethiopian War, Eritrea brought violence throughout the border of Tigray, which has seen the Nobel Peace Prize for the end of Abiy in 2019.
What happened during the conflict?
The war resulted in great civilian losses, and there were persecution committed by all parties and crimes against humanity. As the troops moved to Tigray, Ethiopia prevented the region, preventing journalists, UN agencies and assistance from the emergence and limitation. Tigray quickly went down to an acute hunger crisis. When the ceasefire was signed in November 2022, Academicians were estimated As a result of the blockade, he died of 300,000 to 800,000 violence or hunger. The capital Metelle was destroyed. Sexual violence exceeded the rates: Surveys specify Approximately 10% of Tigrayan women were raped during the conflict.
Is the conflict over?
The war officially ended in 2022, but violence in the region continued and reportedly increased again. In the mid -2025, Eritrea troops were still invading tigray pieces, According to the UNAnd continue to be accused of mass rape, arbitrary detention and looting. Large -scale sexual violence continues by Ethiopia and Eryrita forces in the region: there are NGOs documented hundreds of cases Since the hostility ended and “the scale and nature of these violations did not change financially” concluded. Now, there are fears that the region can enter the war again after new clashes between Eritrea and Ethiopia and between the federal government of Ethiopia and the province of Amhara.
The attacks described by health workers are extreme in their savagery, usually leave the survivors with serious, long -term injuries.
“After working on gender -based violence for twenty years… This is not something I have seen in other conflicts, Pay, a lawyer and joint writer of the report. “This is a really terrible and extremely sexual form of sexual violence and a violence that deserves the attention of the world.”
The survivors treated by health professionals stretched from infants to older people. The youngest was less than one year old. More than 20% of health workers are very young children (1-12 years) of the people they treat for sexual violence; and 63% treated children under 17 years of age.
Ayder Hospital Chief Clinic Director in Tigray. Abraha Gebreegziabher said Guardian’s hospital treated survivors from thousands of rape and accepted more than 100 a week.
“Some [trends] It stands out during the war, ”he said. One of the gang rape. Secondly, the placement of foreign bodies, including messages and broken rocks or stones… Then the deliberate spread of infection, especially HIV, said.
In June, Guardian revealed excessive sexual violence patterns that soldiers forced foreign objects to women reproductive organs, including metal screws, stones and other ruins. In at least two cases, the soldiers placed plastic -wrapped letters that elaborate the intention of destroying the ability of Tigran women to give birth.
The new research included interviews with a number of health workers who independently reported that such an attack was treated to their victims.
Most of the survivors, soldiers by destroying the reproductive organs of the tigrane women or forcing them to give birth to the children of the ethnic origin of the ethnic origin of the ethnic origin of the ethnic origin, he said.
A psychologist who treats a young girl said: “When the perpetrators tried to remove the Norplant contraceptive method placed on the upper arm, his arm was broken and paralyzed, and this aimed to force pregnancy from the perpetrator. [They said]: ‘You will give birth from us, then Tigrayan ethnic[ity] will eventually be deleted. ‘”
Other women were held in military camps for months or years and gave birth to the children of their attackers when they were under captivity.
The Shah said that the legal analysis of medical registration data and health workers’ statements have found a definite proof of crimes against humanity, including mass rape, forced pregnancy and compulsory sterilization.
Women were often attacked by more than one attacker and in front of the family. The attacks included an important taboo violation in Tigray, including attacks on women who had anal rape and menstruation. The resulting stamping meant that some survivors were divorced by their husbands, rejected by families or socially excluded.
“This form of violence, trauma, humiliation, pain and breaking and breaking communities are given in a way that causes communities,” Shah said. “This will have generation effects.”
Many surviving people still live in the camps of displaced people. Due to the closure of the USAID, a series of clinics were closed to the survivors.
“These women’s personalities and self -sense were torn apart,” a psychiatrist said.
A significant number of health workers had treated children. Many of them were too young to understand what happened, a nurse said: “Most of them don’t know what rape is. They don’t know what the result is.”
For girls who were pregnant, some were less than 12 years of age, and health risks were important. “Their bodies have not fully developed to meet their demands for pregnancy,” he said.
Ayder Hospital treated a series of children who developed long -term conditions, including many fistulas.
In addition to the victims of direct sexual assaults, health professionals explained that they were done to treat children who live in “forced witnesses, and that parents and brothers were raped or to monitor their murder, and that they caused serious psychological trauma.
Health workers in Tigray face the risk of state -linked forces on public violence on public violence. Speaking about the condition of anonymity, a surgical worker told Guardian that they have seen acute psychological problems and nightmares as a result of what medical staff witnessed.
“We hope that many people will hear [about this] Opposite the world surface. If justice can be presented, maybe the consolation will follow. “
The report covered the conflict and the post -conflict period until 2024, and concluded that armed sexual violence has been continuing since the ceasefire and expanded to new regions.
A health worker said, “Perpetrators should be punished and the situation should be solved,” he said. “Real healing requires justice.”
Anbassa, a human rights employee who helps the conduct of surveys in Ethiopia*, said, “Nobody is responsible”. The fact that he could not take the perpetrators into account, meant that human rights violations continued, he said, the atrocities are currently committed in Amhara and Afar’s nearby regions.
“If this conflict continues, this impunity in Tigray will continue after that, [and] Conflicts will spread to other regions. “
* The name has changed
In the UK, Rape crisis It offers support for rape and sexual abuse in 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 Scotlandor 0800 0246 991 Northern Ireland. In the USA Sky It offers support on 800-656-4673. Support in Australia is available at the following address 1800 disrespect (1800 737 732). Other international assistance lines can be found at this address Ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html
