Peace negotiations (per 06 March)

  • Referring to the Interim Regional Administration (IRA), the spokesperson for the Tigray government, Getachew Reda, states that the “Tigray Interim Administration will be established only after mutual consultations between the parties to the Pretoria Agreement.”
  • The spokesperson and negotiator of the Cessation of Hostilities (CoH) Agreement said: “Reports of the IRA having been established in Tigray without Addis’ involvement flies in the face of the reality. Tigray is only trying to do its part.”
  • Inauguration of consultations on the Peace Process in Ethiopia are on the way, states Amb. Roland Kobia, EU Ambassador to Ethiopia. 
  • In Egela district in Tigray, Eritrean troops are reportedly carrying out trainings with heavy and light arms systems.

Regional Situation (per 06 March)

  • At the UN LDC Conference held in Doha, Qatar, the acceleration of the settlement of the border dispute was discussed between the leaders Al-Burhan and Ahmed Abiy of Sudan and Ethiopia. 
  • In South Sudan the Minister of Defense was relieved from duties and a government swap of positions was carried out by President Kiir. The changes are considered as a potential challenge to the peace process and disrupting the balances between the main parties.
  • The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, who had delivered the Minister of Defense, protested the move.
  • Peace activist Edmund Yakani expressed concern that this may disrupt the peace process in South Sudan and called on IGAD to mediate.
  • Strengthening relations with Russia may be associated with the evolving situation which could disrupt the process of preparing elections in South Sudan by the end of the year.
  • In Laascaanood in North Somalia the situation was calm over the weekend but some fighting erupted again  on Monday morning.
  • Ethiopia is mediating in Laascaanood and is expected to report on the progress so far.

Situation in Ethiopia (per 06 March)

  • Sheba Leather Industries, one of Ethiopia’s leading leather manufacturers, is destroyed as a consequence of the war in Tigray, finds the Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Union after conducting an assessment on the situation.

Situation in Tigray (per 06 March)

  • A UNHCR report on displacement in Eastern Tigray finds large-scale destruction; almost 3000 houses are fully destroyed. 95% of primary schools and 86% of high schools, 94% of health clinics, 100% of civil registration offices, 85% of marketplaces and 63% of water points have been fully destroyed.
  • The rates of sexual and gender based violence are assessed as “very high”.
  • The village of Kokob Tsibah with a population of over 10.000, which served as a stronghold for Eritrean forces, was fully displaced and is now returning.
  • The villagers buried 34 dead on the day that UNHCR visited. UNHCR also identified 1 person kidnapped from the village, 11 persons tortured by Eritrean forces, and 150 survivors of sexual violence in this village alone.
  • Eritrean forces were observed in the village on 13 February 2023.
  • In the observed villages, there is widespread destruction, unexploded ordinances that make farming impossible, destruction and looting of all livestock and crops, acute food shortages, no access to healthcare, no functioning schools or administration offices, and most people lost their livelihoods.
  • Some IDPs in Mekelle state that they have not received aid in three months. They also report inadequate shelter.
  • Witness stories from Tigray illustrate the severe trauma in Tigray through witness accounts of massacres and rape, reported by the Neue Zürger Zeitung (NZZ)
  • In an interview with NZZ, General Tsadkan Gebretensae states he tried to mediate between PM Abiy and the TPLF in 2019. “I did my best, […] But I failed.”
  • Tsadkan is hopeful about the peace agreement, though some progress, like resumption of salaries for government employees, is slow. “It is almost impossible to explain what war does to a society. It tears everything apart.”

International Situation (per 06 March)

  • The UN Human Rights Council (HRC) held an interactive dialogue on human rights in Eritrea.
  • Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker, Special Rapporteur for the situation of human rights in Eritrea, said that no progress has been observed in the enhancement of human rights in the country.  He added that witnesses confirmed increased forced conscription by the military.
  • Representatives of the HRC called for immediate withdrawal of Eritrean Defence Forces from Tigray.
  • The UK government has written to the Somaliland government that it expects accountability in the security sector if its support is to be continued.
  • The UK supports the security sector but expressed concern over the involvement of Somaliland security personnel in the fighting in Laascaanood.
  • Today, the UN Security Council will hear a briefing on South Sudan from the UN Mission in South Sudan. It covers the transitional roadmap, the humanitarian situation and continuing conflicts.
  • A video report with English subtitles on the torture of Eritrean refugees in human trafficking camps in Libya describes the severe ongoing abuses in which refugees are held in slavery-like conditions.

Links of interest

Twitter: Getachew Reda

Twitter: Amb. Roland Kobia

Tigrai TV

Sudan, Ethiopia agree to accelerate efforts to settle border dispute

Twitter: Juba Daily News

IGAD intervention immediately needed before another violation – Yakani

De martelkampen van Bani Walid

War causes total destruction of Sheba leathers

Protection Monitoring and Solutions (PMS) Report #1 | Tigray Region Feb 2023

Analysis: IDPs in Mekelle complain lack of adequate aid despite improved humanitarian access to Tigray

600,000 dead – and now what? On the road in Tigray, where a war is over but peace has not yet begun

South Sudan: Briefing and Consultations

13th Meeting – 52nd Regular Session of Human Rights Council

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