Ethiopian air force strikes refugee camp, killing 3 and injuring 4 Eritrean refugees
An air strike by Ethiopian government aircraft hit Mai Aini refugee camp near the southern town of Mai Tsebri, in Tigray province, northern Ethiopia on Wednesday 5th January 2022, killing three Eritrean refugees, two of whom were children. Four other refugees were injured. The identity of the attacking aircraft has not been confirmed; however, only government forces have the capacity to mount such raids in the area.
The Ethiopian government forces and its allies have been waging a war in the province against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) forces since November 2020. Refugee camps peopled by Eritreans were attacked earlier on in the conflict, notably by soldiers from the Eritrean army, when two of the four camps were destroyed, and many refugees were force-marched away and kidnapped. Attacking refugees contravene the UN Refugee Convention and international law.
At least 146 people have been killed and 213 injured in 41 air strikes in Tigray since October 18th 2021, according to a document prepared by aid agencies and shared with Reuters. On December 30th, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said dozens of civilians had been reported killed in southern Tigray by air raids in what it described as “the most intense attacks and highest casualties reported since October”. The United Nations says no humanitarian aid has been allowed by Ethiopian forces to enter the Tigray region.
On Thursday 6th January 2022, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said, “I am deeply saddened to learn that three Eritrean refugees, two of them children, were killed yesterday… According to the information we received, four other refugees were injured. Thankfully, their lives are not at risk. UNHCR is assisting them to receive medical care. Refugees are not and should never be a target… While UNHCR continues to gather and corroborate details on the events, I reiterate UNHCR’s call on all parties to the conflict to respect the rights of all civilians, including refugees.”
Human Rights Concern-Eritrea (HRCE) echoes these concerns and calls on the government of Ethiopia immediately to: –
- end all air strikes targeting civilians in Tigray, Oromia, and Amhara regions;
- take much more proactive measures to safeguard all refugees;
- allow desperately-needed humanitarian aid into the Tigray region and to refugee camps there.
HRCE wishes to emphasise the total illegality of any airstrikes on refugees and civilians, and to warn the government and armed forces of Ethiopia that such attacks are likely to qualify as war crimes under international law.
Human Rights Concern – Eritrea (HRCE)
