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Genocide in Tigray

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Tigray Genocide
Part of the Tigray war
Playground in Mekelle destroyed by an airstrike on 26 August 2022
LocationTigray, Ethiopia
Date2020 – 2022
TargetTigrayans, Kunama and Irob ethnic groups
Attack type
Genocide, mass murder, wartime rape, summary execution, ethnic cleansing, mass shooting, blocking of humanitarian aid
Deaths162,000–600,000 civilians (per Ghent University)[1][2][3][4]
InjuredUnknown
VictimsAt least 120,000 women raped.[5][4] Over 6 million Tigrayan people affected in various ways
PerpetratorsEthiopian Government Forces
Eritrean Government Forces
Amhara Special Forces
Afar Special Forces
Part of a series on
Genocide
of indigenous peoples
Issues
Sub-Saharan Africa
Americas
East, South, Southeast Asia
Europe and North Asia
Oceania
West Asia / North Africa
Related topics

The genocide in Tigray were the alleged genocidal acts committed during the Tigray war in Ethiopia, which began in November 2020 and formally ended in November 2022.[6][page needed][7][8][9] The conflict started when the regional government of Tigray sought greater autonomy, prompting a military intervention by the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) and its allies, including the Eritrean Defence Forces (EDF) and regional militias.

The Tigray war erupted in November 2020 following a dispute between the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the ruling party of the Tigray Region, over the region's autonomy. The conflict resulted in thousands of deaths and a humanitarian crisis.[10][11][3]

War overview

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The Tigray war resulted in thousands of deaths and widespread atrocities, including massacres, rapes, and arbitrary detentions. Both Ethiopian and Tigrayan forces have been accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, though both sides have denied responsibility for these abuses.

New Lines Institute report

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On June 4, 2024, the United States-based New Lines Institute released a comprehensive 120-page report concluding that there is strong evidence of genocidal acts committed by Ethiopian forces and their allies during the Tigray war.[10] The report calls for Ethiopia to be prosecuted at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Before the release of the New Lines Institute report, the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments were repeatedly accused of committing genocide in Tigray.[12][13][14]

The New Lines Institute report provides evidence that Ethiopian and allied forces committed acts constituting genocide, which include:[10][8][15]

  • Killing Tigrayans: Systematic mass killings of Tigrayan civilians.
  • Causing serious bodily or mental harm: widespread incidents of torture, rape, and other forms of severe physical and psychological abuse.
  • Deliberately inflicting conditions to destroy: imposing starvation tactics and other measures aimed at destroying Tigrayan communities.
  • Preventing births: actions intended to prevent births within the Tigrayan population.
  • Destruction and looting of heritage.[16]

The report also highlights the role of social media in inciting violence, with certain individuals allegedly using online platforms to promote genocidal actions against Tigrayans.[10]

Designating genocide

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The 1946 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared the genocide convention, outlining the definition of genocide and listing the crimes. Though the declaration defined genocide, it was other UN organs that interpret the law, the final arbiter being the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The ICJ and other international tribunals, such as the International Criminal Court (ICC), have through time established the conditions that need to be fulfilled for a crime to be designated a genocide. Those conditions are broadly classified into three: targeting of a protected group, acts that target the group in whole or in part, and intent to destroy.[17]

Tigrayans as a protected group

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The UN Genocide convention stipulates that targeted group can be defined based on ethnicity, nation, race, or religion. As such Tigrayans are mainly categorized under ethnic or subnational grouping. Tigrayans are at the center of long Ethiopian history, starting from the Axumite empire in the 1st - 7th century which was situated in current day Tigray highlands and the city of Axum, the battle of Adwa to defeat the Italian invasion in 1896, and the many rebellions of the 20th century against central Ethiopian governments. This long history has created a distinct ethnic identity with unique language, Tigrinya, and culture.[18] [19][20]

Alleged crimes

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Genocidal rape

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The earliest reports on sexual- and gender-based violence emerged in March and April of 2021. One of those reports came from The New York Times after interviewing Mona Lisa, a survivor of an attempted assault. She detailed after her resistance the soldier shoot her, leading to an amputated arm, similar testimonies started coming from other outlets as well. In addition, another report came from CNN, where they interviewed victims that had fled to neighboring Sudan. The testimony from the victims indicated that sexual violence was used to "change the identity" of the women. Dr. Tedros Tefera, a physician working at the refugee camp in Sudan, called what was happening in Tigray a "genocide." In addition, UN Aid Chief Mark Lowcock, stated "sexual violence is being used as a weapon of war in Ethiopia's Tigray", and urged the UN to issue a statement. Abiy Ahmed's own cabinet member resigned her position as Minster of Women, Children, and Youth, in protest of how the investigation into those crimes was handled, she claimed her report was blocked by the government. [21][22][23][24][25]

A 2023 study by Mengistu Welday Gebremichael of the College of Health Sciences at Mekelle University, entitled "Rape survivors’ experience in Tigray: a qualitative study", published in BMC Women's Health, explores the devastating impact of sexual violence on women and girls in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Through in-depth interviews with ten survivors, the study reveals the widespread nature of rape and its severe psychological and physical consequences. The authors highlight the long-lasting trauma inflicted on victims, the challenges faced in escaping rape and killings, and the reliance on home remedies for survival in war-affected areas. The study underscores the urgent need for coordinated efforts to heal, support, and rehabilitate survivors, as well as to rebuild and re-equip damaged health institutions in Tigray.[26][4]

A 2024 article, by Muauz Gidey Alemu of the Tigray Institute of Policy Studies and Mulugeta Gebrehiwet Berhe of the World Peace Foundation, Fletcher School, Tufts University, entitled "Your Womb is Our Enemy: The Rape of Tigray as Genocidal Rape", published in the Journal of BRICS Studies, provides a comprehensive analysis of the sexual violence perpetrated against Tigrayan civilians during the conflict. The authors detail the extent and nature of the abuse, highlighting the deliberate targeting of women, girls, men, and boys based on their ethnicity. They also present evidence suggesting an intent to sterilize and inflict maximum damage, citing specific testimonies and accounts from survivors and witnesses. By comparing the sexual violence in Tigray with similar cases from other conflicts, the authors conclude that it constitutes genocide.[27]

Destruction of healthcare system

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Different studies showed Tigray's healthcare facilities were targeted comprehensively, and intentionally, close to 90% of the region's healthcare system was destroyed. A report by MSF showed less than 1 in 10 was functioning, furthermore the report indicated 73% have been looted, and 87% were not functioning fully or partially. A different study assessed the impact of the war on Tigray's healthcare system, and showed only a quarter of the hospitals, and less than 11% of ambulances were functioning. This had a detrimental impact on the maternal mortality rate, which quadrupled from 186 per 100,000 in pre-war period to 840 per 100,000 by May 2022. [28][29][30][31][28]

Cultural genocide

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Policies in the region have enforced the Amharic language onto the indigenous Tigray population, a process which scholars Merih Welay Welesilassie and Berhane Gerencheal named "linguistic genocide" in a 2025 paper.[32]

Airstrikes on civilians

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One 2025 study found that of 1,143 airstrike casualties reported in Tigray during the study's 17 month period, nearly a third of the victims were children and half were women. The strikes occurred predominately in civilian areas, such as IDPs, marketplaces, churches, public transport, and children's playgrounds. [33]

International response

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The New Lines Institute report urges the international community to exert diplomatic pressure on Ethiopia and to pursue legal action through the ICJ.[10] This aligns with previous findings from the United Nations, which noted ongoing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Tigray nearly a year after the formal end of hostilities.[citation needed]

In 2024, the Australian Greens expressed deep concern over the humanitarian crisis in Tigray, Ethiopia, citing the New Lines Institute genocide report that details widespread human rights abuses, including killings, displacement, gender-based violence, and famine. The Greens believe the actions of Ethiopian and Eritrean forces may constitute genocide. They urge the Australian government to support accountability for perpetrators, review aid distribution, and increase media coverage of the conflict.[34]

Ethiopian and Eritrean denials

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Both the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments have consistently denied allegations of war crimes and genocide. Ethiopia has been accused of attempting to block international investigations, while Eritrea has labeled the accusations as defamatory.[35][36]

Notable Statements and Reactions

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Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize Committee

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The Nobel Peace prize committee issued a statement on January 13, 2022, condemning the restriction of aid to the population in need, and put the onus to end the conflict on the Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, stating "Abiy Ahmed has a special responsibility to end the conflict and help to create peace." The Ethiopian PM had won the prize in 2019, and the Tigray war started less than two years he received the award.[37]

Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church Patriarch

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The 6th patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Abune Mathias, decried what is happening in Tigray as Genocide, and added his voice is being censored not to speak on the issue. The patriarch is an ethnic Tigrayan himself, and alleged various crimes against the Ethiopian government. [38]

World Health Organization (WHO) Director General

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WHO Director General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said in his remarks on October 19, 2022," there is a narrow window to prevent Genocide in Tigray." The Director General has been critical of the Ethiopian government's handling of the war and lambasted the use of siege to prevent the passage of humanitarian aid as using food and healthcare as weapon of war. The director general himself hails from Tigray and has been the health minister and subsequently the foreign minister of Ethiopia, before becoming the Director General of WHO. The Ethiopian government has accused him of backing the TPLF and assisting them in their fight diplomatically and by providing weapons.[39]

US Government Positions

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Different elected and appointed officials from the US issued statements on this topic. The Secretary of State Anthony Blinken for the first time used the term "ethnic cleansing" to describe what was happening in western Tigray. This came during the oversight hearing on March 10, 2021. Another figure to make a statement on Tigray genocide was Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, Senator Bob Menedez, in a letter written to President Biden, he claimed Ethiopian officials have committed genocide in Tigray. Furthermore, he asked the president to direct the state department to continue its work to determine the nature of crimes committed.[40][41]

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

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The US Holocaust Memorial Museum issued a statement at two different times, one in December 2021 and another one in October 2022. Both times, the violence and rhetoric in Tigray was severe, and the museum warned there is a heightened risk of genocide. The museum cited vitriolic rhetoric against the Tigrayans, and the different actions taken against the group. Furthermore, it underlined the need to avoid tunnel vision for fear of derailing the ongoing negotiations and look for other solutions to prevent genocide.[42][43]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ York, Geoffrey (21 October 2022). "Surge of dehumanizing hate speech points to mounting risk of mass atrocities in northern Ethiopia, experts say". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 22 October 2022. Independent scholars, based at Ghent University in Belgium, suggest that the death toll in Tigray is now between 385,000 and 600,000.
  2. ^ Negash, Emnet (24 May 2023). "Updated assessment of civilian starvation deaths during the Tigray war". Archived from the original on 4 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023. As our estimate of the civilian deaths in the Tigray war is regularly mentioned in the media, it seems important to share our evolving understanding and updated (lower) number of civilian deaths as a result of the Tigray war and blockade. We concluded that the IPC/FEWS categorization, on which our Tigray statistics are mainly based, overestimates hunger mortality. Along with developing information on the ground, this would point to a total number of civilian deaths ranging from 162,000 to 378,000.
  3. ^ a b Naranjo, José (27 January 2023). "Ethiopia's forgotten war is the deadliest of the 21st century, with around 600,000 civilian deaths". El País. Archived from the original on 10 February 2025. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Mistiaen & Kahsay 2024.
  5. ^ Hochet-Bodin, Noé (16 March 2024). "In Tigray, Ethiopian women face horrific choice: 'To die or to be raped". Le Monde. Archived from the original on 9 February 2025. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  6. ^ Gebrewahid, G.M. (2023). PRIMED FOR DEATH: Tigray Genocide: A Survivor's Story (first ed.). Independently published. ISBN 979-8372857001.
  7. ^
  8. ^ a b "Strong evidence that Ethiopia committed genocide in Tigray war: Report". Al Jazeera. 5 June 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  9. ^ Asgedom, Desta (2024). The Tigray Genocide: A Call for International Accountability (first ed.). Author's Point. ISBN 978-1836632023.
  10. ^ a b c d e "Genocide in Tigray: Serious breaches of international law in the Tigray conflict, Ethiopia, and paths to accountability", newlinesinstitute.org, 5 June 2024, archived from the original on 1 February 2025, retrieved 5 June 2024
  11. ^ York 2024.
  12. ^ Karam, Joyce (17 June 2021). "US congressman Michael McCaul raises spectre of 'genocide' in Tigray". The National. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  13. ^ "Ethiopian patriarch pleads for international help to stop rape and genocide by government troop". The Observer. 8 May 2021. Archived from the original on 10 December 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  14. ^ de Waal, Alex (29 May 2021). "Ethiopia Tigray crisis: Warnings of genocide and famine". BBC News. Archived from the original on 11 December 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  15. ^
  16. ^ Touati, Charlotte; de Waal, Matthew Chandler (25 September 2024). "The Destruction and Looting of Heritage in the Tigray War". African Aruments. Archived from the original on 25 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  17. ^ Ibrahim, Azeem; Hook, Kristina; Kennedy, Helena; Leddy, Nick; O'Brien, Melanie; U. Ochab, Ewelina; Packer, John; Prey, Emily; Rock, Allan; et al. (Erin Farrell Rosenberg, David J. Scheffer, Annika Weis) (June 2024). Genocide in Tigray: International Legal Analysis and Findings. New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy. pp. 21–22.
  18. ^ Tigray: The Hysteresis of War. Langaa RPCIG. 2024. p. 572. doi:10.2307/jj.22136029. ISBN 978-9956-554-89-8.
  19. ^ Erlich, Ḥaggai (2024). Greater Tigray and the mysterious magnetism of Ethiopia. Oxford scholarship online Political Science. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-1-80526-023-3.
  20. ^ Plaut, Martin; Vaughan, Sarah (2023). "Part One History". Understanding Ethiopia's Tigray War. London: Hurst & company. ISBN 978-1-78738-811-6.
  21. ^ "'They Told Us Not to Resist': Sexual Violence Pervades Ethiopia's War (Published 2021)". 2021-04-01. Retrieved 2025-10-15.
  22. ^ Osman, Jamal (2021-03-23). "Tigray conflict: the testimonies of alleged war crimes". Channel 4 News. Retrieved 2025-10-15.
  23. ^ Platt, Bethlehem Feleke,Eliza Mackintosh,Gianluca Mezzofiore,Katie Polglase,Nima Elbagir,Barbara Arvanitidis,Alex (2021-03-19). "'Practically genocide': Doctors say rape used as tool of war in Ethiopia". CNN. Retrieved 2025-10-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  24. ^ "Sexual violence being used as weapon of war in Ethiopia's Tigray, U.N. says". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2024-05-30. Retrieved 2025-10-15.
  25. ^ "She was in Abiy Ahmed's cabinet as war broke out. Now she wants to set the record straight". The Washington Post. 2021-12-30. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2025-10-15.
  26. ^ Gebremichael et al. 2024, p. 372.
  27. ^ Alemu & Berhe 2024.
  28. ^ a b Reisen, Mirjam van (2024). "Chapter 10 Genocide through Health Care Violence: The Systematic Destruction of Health Facilities in the Tigray War". Tigray: War in a Digital Black Hole. Araya Abrha Medhanyie, Munyaradzi Mawere (1st ed.). Oxford: Langaa RPCIG. pp. 381–389. ISBN 978-9956-554-43-0.
  29. ^ "Health facilities targeted in Tigray region, Ethiopia | MSF". www.msf.org. Retrieved 2025-10-15.
  30. ^ Gesesew, Hailay; Berhane, Kiros; Siraj, Elias S.; Siraj, Dawd; Gebregziabher, Mulugeta; Gebre, Yemane Gebremariam; Gebreslassie, Samuel Aregay; Amdeslassie, Fasika; Tesema, Azeb Gebresilassie; Siraj, Amir; Aregawi, Maru; Gezahegn, Selome; Tesfay, Fisaha Haile (2021-11-23). "The impact of war on the health system of the Tigray region in Ethiopia: an assessment". BMJ Global Health. 6 (11): e007328. doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2021-007328. ISSN 2059-7908. PMC 8611430. PMID 34815244.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: article number as page number (link)
  31. ^ Legesse, Awol Yemane; Teka Tseghay, Hale; Abraha, Hiluf Ebuy; Fisseha, Girmatsion; Ebrahim, Mohamedawel Mohamedniguss; Tsadik, Mache; Berhe, Bereket; Gebrekurstos, Gebrehaweria; Ayele, Brhane; Gebremeskel, Tesfit; Gebremariam, Tsega; Hadush, Marta Yemane; Hagos, Tigist; Gebreziabiher, Abreha; Muez, Kibrom (2024). "Maternal mortality during war time in Tigray, Ethiopia: A community-based study". BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. 131 (6): 786–794. doi:10.1111/1471-0528.17677. ISSN 1471-0528.
  32. ^ Welesilassie, Merih Welay; Gerencheal, Berhane (2025-02-01). ""Only Amharic or Leave Quick!": Linguistic Genocide in the Western Tigray Region of Ethiopia". International Journal for the Semiotics of Law - Revue internationale de Sémiotique juridique. 38 (2): 619–657. doi:10.1007/s11196-024-10113-7. ISSN 1572-8722.
  33. ^ Gebregziabher, Mulugeta; Asgedom, Akeza Awealom; Abraha, Hiluf Ebuy; Teka, Hale; Etsedingl, Abenezer; Berihu, Tsegay; Redae, Gebru Hailu; Gebreselassie, Nahom M.; Medhanyie, Araya Abrha; Godefay, Hagos; Gebre-Egziabher, Demoz; Wild, Hannah (2025-03-14). "Civilian death and injury from airstrikes: evidence from the war in Tigray, Ethiopia". Population Health Metrics. 23 (1) 10. doi:10.1186/s12963-025-00373-1. ISSN 1478-7954. PMC 11909939. PMID 40087697.
  34. ^ "Statement on Crimes Against Humanity, War Crimes and Genocide in Tigray". Australian Greens. 6 September 2024. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  35. ^ "Ethiopia seeks to block UN probe into Tigray massacres – DW – 03/10/2023". dw.com. Retrieved 2025-10-15.
  36. ^ "Ethiopia, Eritrea Deny US 'War Crimes' Assertion". Voice of America. 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2025-10-15.
  37. ^ "Nobel Peace Prize 2019". NobelPrize.org. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
  38. ^ "Ethiopian Orthodox Church patriarch blasts Tigray 'genocide'". AP News. 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
  39. ^ "WHO's Tedros says narrow window to 'prevent genocide' in Ethiopia". Reuters. 2022-10-20. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
  40. ^ Hansler, Jennifer (2021-03-10). "Blinken: Acts of 'ethnic cleansing' committed in Western Tigray | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
  41. ^ "Menendez Presses Biden Administration on Genocide Determination for Conflict in Ethiopia | United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations". www.foreign.senate.gov. 2022-03-17. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
  42. ^ "Risk of Genocide and other Mass Atrocities in Ethiopia - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum". www.ushmm.org. 2021-12-22. Retrieved 2025-10-15.
  43. ^ "Museum Concerned about Risk of Genocide in Ethiopia - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum". www.ushmm.org. 2022-10-25. Retrieved 2025-10-15.

Works cited

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Further reading

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