Tigray rebel fighters raped, robbed and assaulted women after taking control of a town in Ethiopia’s Amhara region in August, according to a report by Amnesty International.
Sixteen survivors from Nifas Mewcha town interviewed by Amnesty described being raped at gunpoint by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) fighters.
Most of the women were gang raped by attackers also looted and destroyed medical facilities.
“The testimonies we heard from survivors describe despicable acts by TPLF fighters that amount to war crimes, and potentially crimes against humanity. They defy morality or any iota of humanity,” said Agnès Callamard, the secretary general of Amnesty International.
Read Also: Stop exporting sand to Togo – EPA warns
With the destruction of the health facilities and the security situation, survivors have been unable to get comprehensive medical care since the attack.
They said they still suffered from physical and mental health problems, including back pain, bloody urine, difficulty walking, anxiety and depression.
Amnesty has asked the TPLF fighters to stop the human rights abuses “including sexual and gender-based violence”.
A spokesperson for the TPLF posted on Twitter that the latest report was an effort at “establishing impartiality
”.
Amnesty has previously documented widespread rape and sexual violence by government-allied troops and militias in Tigray.
It has asked the government to support the victims and ensure that the cases are investigated.
Mali parliament vice-president freed
Mali’s interim parliament vice-president has been freed, weeks after he was arrested for public order offences.
Issa Kaou N’Djim was arrested in October and a ruling on his case is expected in December.
He was accused of making “subversive remarks”, which were not disclosed.
N’Djim is a supporter of Mali’s President Assimi Goïta but is a critic of Interim Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maïga.
His lawyers had said his detention was illegal because of a parliamentary immunity.
Parliament later passed a resolution calling for the halting of the case.
Source: BBC
