Ethiopia stands at a critical juncture. In recent weeks, tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea are on the rise, while a widening rift between the political leadership in Tigray sparks fears of renewed conflict and instability in the region. At present, ongoing fighting between federal government forces and armed groups in the Amhara and Oromia regions continues to exact a heavy toll on civilians, with ongoing reports of summary executions, mass arbitrary detention, and attacks on aid workers and critical infrastructure.
The environment for the media and civil society across the country has further eroded, with the government suspending four prominent human rights organizations by late December, shuttering space for safe, independent criticism. In recent months, opposition politicians and civil society actors have fled the country due to government threats and surveillance. This context undermines the possibilities for meaningful scrutiny and involvement by independent civil society organizations in the government’s promised transitional justice process. Given these multiple crises and the risk of further atrocity crimes, the Human Rights Council and the High Commissioner’s office need to act to prevent human rights abuses and respond to humanitarian crises.
In Burkina Faso, attacks and abuses by Islamist armed groups have surged and military forces and pro-government militias committed serious abuses during counterinsurgency operations, including mass killing of civilians that amount to crimes against humanity. Military authorities cracked down on the political opposition, media and peaceful dissent, and used a sweeping emergency law against perceived dissidents, contributing to a shrinking civic space. The Human Rights Council should:
- condemn in the strongest terms the crimes committed by both Islamist armed groups, and Burkinabe armed forces and allied militias and call for grave violations to be thoroughly and impartially investigated; and
- call on the junta to protect civilians and respect international humanitarian and human rights laws in counterterrorism operations.
We welcome the High Commissioner’s comments on India in the recent global update on the government’s crackdown on civil society and reiterate the call for the Indian government to address violence and displacement in Manipur “based on dialogue, peacebuilding and human rights.” We hope that the High Commissioner’s office will continue to publicly raise the serious deterioration in human rights in India and also urge India to robustly uphold human rights in confronting global challenges.
