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Motion for a resolution - B9-0444/2022Motion for a resolution
B9-0444/2022

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the recent humanitarian and human rights situation in Tigray, Ethiopia, notably that of children

4.10.2022 - (2022/2858(RSP))

with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 144 of the Rules of Procedure

Željana Zovko, Sara Skyttedal, Isabel Wiseler‑Lima, Peter Pollák, Janina Ochojska, Stanislav Polčák, Elżbieta Katarzyna Łukacijewska, Miriam Lexmann, Tomáš Zdechovský, Adam Jarubas, Inese Vaidere, Michaela Šojdrová, Seán Kelly, Andrey Kovatchev, David Lega, Vangelis Meimarakis, Antonio López‑Istúriz White, Paulo Rangel, José Manuel Fernandes, Tom Vandenkendelaere, Christian Sagartz, Ivan Štefanec, Magdalena Adamowicz, Luděk Niedermayer, Stelios Kympouropoulos, Loucas Fourlas, Krzysztof Hetman, Michael Gahler, Vladimír Bilčík, Loránt Vincze, György Hölvényi
on behalf of the PPE Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B9-0429/2022

Procedure : 2022/2858(RSP)
Document stages in plenary
Document selected :  
B9-0444/2022
Texts tabled :
B9-0444/2022
Debates :
Votes :
Texts adopted :

B9‑0444/2022

European Parliament resolution on the recent humanitarian and human rights situation in Tigray, Ethiopia, notably that of children

(2022/2858(RSP))

The European Parliament,

  having regard to its previous resolutions on Ethiopia, in particular on situation in Tigray;

  having regard to the Statement of 22 September 2022 by Commissioner Lenarčič on the humanitarian situation and International Humanitarian Law in northern Ethiopia,

  having regard to the 14 September 2022 Statement by the EEAS Spokesperson, on the latest developments in Ethiopia,

  having regard to the report of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission/Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Joint Investigation into Alleged Violations of International Human Rights, Humanitarian and Refugee Law Committed by all Parties to the Conflict in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia of 3 November 2021 and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission report of 11 March 2022 on violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the Afar and Amhara regions of Ethiopia conducted between September and December 2021,

  having regard to the UN Human Rights Council resolution of 17 December 2021 establishing an international commission of human rights experts to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the allegations of violations and abuses committed since 3 November 2020 by all parties to the conflict in Ethiopia,

  having regard to the Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch report on crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing in Western Tigray,

  having regard to Rule 144 of its Rules of Procedure,

 

  1. whereas the humanitarian situation across Ethiopia remains dramatic due to conflict, drought, and large-scale internal displacement; whereas a humanitarian truce was announced by the federal government on 24 March 2022 in order to facilitate the provision of aid to Tigray, which has been cut off by the conflict; whereas hostilities in the Northern region of Ethiopia resumed on 24 August 2022; whereas despite remaining very brutal, the conflict in Ethiopia has now entered a different phase, given both conflict parties’ public commitment to a negotiated solution under an AU-led framework;
  2. whereas vulnerable groups, in particular women and children, suffer most from the on-going conflict in Tigray and are in urgent need of protection;
  3. whereas Eritrea has played a very destructive and escalatory role in this conflict, having previously entered the conflict in Tigray, and whereas reports about a renewed entry into northern Tigray have been circulating since late September;
  4. whereas in December 2021, the UN Human Rights Council established the UN Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia to investigate possible war crimes and other violations;
  5. whereas Ethiopia faces a number of risks and threats, including the immediate and long-term impacts of climate change, jihadist terrorism, ethnic tensions and problems of weak governance; whereas Ethiopia is characterised by persistent fragilities due to ongoing conflicts and grave human rights violations and abuses perpetrated by all parties to the conflict, including the enrolment of child soldiers, targeted attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, and the practice of sexual violence against women and girls; whereas impunity for crimes and other violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law remain the norm, while the pursuit of justice for victims has largely proved elusive;
  6. whereas communications blackout and restrictions on physical access for independent observers to areas affected by the conflict have severely inhibited documentation of human rights abuses;
  7. whereas the UN estimated that Ethiopia needs urgent humanitarian assistance; whereas the international community has not been able to provide the needed assistance as of now; whereas 13 million people across the Tigray, Afar and Amhara regions are in need of food assistance as a direct result of the conflict; whereas at the same time Ethiopia is experiencing the most severe drought recorded since 1981, leaving an estimated 7.4 million people facing grave food insecurit;.
  8. whereas the disastrous consequences of the war in Ukraine, with food, fuel and commodity prices having now reached unprecedented levels, are exacerbating the serious food crisis in the countries of the Horn of Africa, including in Ethiopia;

 

 

  1. Strongly condemns the persistent violence and human rights violations in Tigray and reiterates it’s to call for a peaceful resolution of the conflict and the launch of peace talks without delay;
  2. Calls for intensified measures to ensure protection to the most vulnerable, in particular women and children, and supports additional measures to ensure the proper practical and financial resources in this regard; underlines that children and other vulnerable groups deserve additional protection not just in Tigray but throughout entire Ethiopia, including in particular the regions of Afar and Amhara;
  3. Requests all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian and human rights laws;
  4. Support all diplomatic efforts towards ending the ongoing conflict within Ethiopia, both at a national level and, in particular, through the AU’s mediation track; welcomes the renewal of the mandate of Olusegun Obasanjo as the AU’s High Representative for the Horn of Africa, and is anticipating further actions following statements about an anticipated announcement of a triplet of high-level AU mediators, in order to prioritise an agreement on a permanent ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian access to all areas and the immediate withdrawal of Eritrean forces, and to facilitate accountability and internal reconciliation; calls for these mediators to be installed without delay;
  5. Reiterates its call for a national dialogue that must be as inclusive, broad and transparent as possible, including representatives from civil society and opposition parties, in order to fulfil the goal of being a true catalyst for reconciliation;
  6. Calls for the EU to reflect on means to coordinate support between the relevant national and international institutions and the Ethiopian Government in the resumption of health, education and other public facilities and services, including relief services to internally displaced persons and populations affected by conflict;
  7. Welcome the establishment of an International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE) by the UN Human Rights Council to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into allegations of violations and abuses committed in Ethiopia since 3 November 2020 by all parties to the conflict, working in complementarity with the Ethiopian Interministerial Taskforce (IMTF) on accountability and the findings of the Joint Investigation Team, published in the OHCHR/EHRC report in November 2021; strongly calls upon member states to support the allocation of adequate funding by UN to the (ICHREE);
  8. Supports transitional justice to hold the perpetrators of human rights violations accountable for the serious crimes they have committed, in particular by supporting the role of all institutions involved, such as the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, and the UN Human Rights Council;
  9. Takes note of some positive developments in the country, such as the humanitarian truce of 24 March 2022 and the release of some political prisoners, increased humanitarian access during the truce, as well as in particular public declarations by the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan leadership to commit to AU-led peace talks;
  10. Repeats its readiness to gradually reinstate EU assistance if certain conditions are met, inter alia the cessation of hostilities, full and unhindered humanitarian access across Ethiopia, including in the Tigray region, accountability for the crimes committed in the context of the conflict, and the withdrawal of Eritrean troops from the country;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the African Union, the UN, as well as the authorities of Ethiopia, including the regional authorities in Tigray.

Last updated: 4 October 2022
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