PRESS RELEASE : HRC52 – Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 21 March 2023.
Interactive Dialogue with the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia, delivered by UK Human Rights Ambassador Rita French.
Thank you, Mr President.
The UK commends the progress that the Ethiopian Government and Tigray People’s Liberation Front have made towards implementing the November 2022 Pretoria Peace Agreement, ending two years of conflict. We welcome the progress on disarmament, the withdrawal of Eritrean forces, and humanitarian access to Tigray.
Ensuring justice for the victims of atrocities committed during the conflict, and holding those who perpetrated these accountable, are crucial future elements of the peace process. We welcome the proposals on transitional justice brought forward by the Ethiopian Government, and the recent public consultations on this, including with civil society, and we encourage the Government to establish an inclusive and transparent process to implement these provisions.
Commissioners,
Thank you for your briefing today, and for your important work investigating and documenting the human rights violations and abuses committed by all sides during the conflict. We commend you for carrying out your work with a commitment to professionalism and impartiality. We reiterate our call on all parties to the conflict and regional partners to co-operate fully with your mandate.
Now that the peace agreement is in place, how do you hope to work with the Ethiopian Government, TPLF and AU to ensure robust accountability for human rights violations and abuses?
