Excellencies,
We, the undersigned civil society and human rights organisations, are alarmed by the 15 February announcement by the Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia to the Executive Council of the African Union that the Ethiopian government is planning to present a resolution at the upcoming session of the UN Human Rights Council to terminate the mandate of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE).
We write to urge your delegations to reject any resolution to prematurely terminate the mandate of ICHREE, and to express your support for the mandate and work of the Commission. The independent mandate and work of ICHREE is crucial to preserve the opportunity for victims of grave international crimes to have access to justice, particularly because of the eroding environment for independent media and human rights monitoring of conflict-affected areas of Ethiopia. We are deeply concerned about the government’s ongoing harassment of human rights defenders, including at the judicial level.
Ethiopia’s attempts to terminate ICHREE’s mandate during its term are unprecedented. Not only does it suggest that states can politically maneuver to overturn the decisions of the Human Rights Council to avoid independent scrutiny and accountability, but it could also set a dangerous precedent regarding international scrutiny and impunity for rights abuses elsewhere.
In November 2022, the Ethiopian federal government and Tigrayan authorities signed a cessation of hostilities agreement. While the agreement restored some long overdue aspects of civilian life, including easing some restrictions on basic services and humanitarian assistance, independent, effective investigations with a view to prosecution of grave international crimes will be key. The work and mandate of ICHREE would complement the cessation of hostilities agreement which recognizes the need for accountability and justice.
Victims of violations and their families in northern Ethiopia, as well as in other parts of the country, have expressed a lack of trust in state institutions and continue to seek greater international attention to their suffering and for action to end impunity. Ethiopia’s efforts to terminate ICHREE’s work would silence the hope and trust that victims have placed in it, including those who have already engaged with the ICHREE in the hope that their stories would be told.
With ongoing human rights abuses, and credible investigations and accountability at the domestic level still elusive, the Human Rights Council and its members should support those seeking justice and enable ICHREE to continue to fulfill the mandate it was given in 2021: to collect and preserve evidence of serious crimes committed, and to identify those responsible, with a view—where possible—to make such information accessible and usable in support of ongoing and future accountability efforts.
We reiterate our call to members and observers of the UN Human Rights Council to block Ethiopia’s efforts to terminate the mandate of the ICHREE, and to confirm your support for the ICHREE and the protection of the integrity of the Human Rights Council and its mandated bodies.
1. Africa Legal Aid (AFLA)
2. African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) - Sudan
3. Amnesty International
4. Association pour la Défense des Droits de la Personne et des Libertés Publiques (ADL) - Rwanda
5. Association Mauritanienne des Droits de l'Homme (AMDH) – Mauritania
6. Association nigérienne pour la défense des droits de l'Homme (ANDDH) – Niger
7. Association Tchadienne pour la Promotion et Défense des Droits de l'Homme (ATPDH) – Chad
8. Association of Victims, Relatives and Friends of September 28, 2009 (AVIPA)
9. Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA)
10. Australia Tigray Alliance (ATA)
11. The Botswana Centre for Human Rights (DITSHWANELO) - Botswana
12. Center for Advancement of Rights and Democracy (CARD)
13. Center for Democracy and Development (CDD)- Mozambique
14. The Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law - Sierra Leone
15. CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
16. The Civil Society Human Rights Advocacy Platform of Liberia
17. Coalition for Justice and Accountability
18. Cooperation platform for Tigrayan-Norwegians
19. DefendDefenders (East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project)
20. Dekna Foundation
21. Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) – Ethiopia
22. Ethiopian Canadians for Peace
23. FKA-Senegal
24. Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
25. The Global Society of Tigray Scholars and Professionals (GSTS)
26. Groupe LOTUS - Democratic Republic of Congo
27. Health Professionals Network for Tigray
28. Human Rights Concern Eritrea
29. Human Rights Watch
30. International Commission of Jurists (Global)
31. International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
32. The International Refugee Rights Initiative (IRRI)
33. Irob Anina Civil Society (IACS)
34. Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRI) - Kenya
35. Kenya Section of the International Commission of Jurists (Kenya)
36. Legal Action Worldwide (LAW)
37. Legacy Tigray
38. Les Mêmes Droits pour Tous (MDT) - Guinea
39. Ligue Burundaise des droits de l’Homme (Iteka) – Burundi
40. Ligue Centrafricaine des Droits de l'Homme (LCDH) - Central African Republic
41. Ligue Djiboutienne des Droits Humains (LDDH) – Djibouti
42. Ligue Ivoirienne des Droits de l'Homme (LIDHO) - Cote d’Ivoire
43. Ligue Sénégalaise des Droits humains (LSDH) - Sénégal
44. Observatoire congolais des droits de l'Homme (OCDH) – Congo
45. Observatoire des droits de l’Homme au Rwanda (ODHR) - Rwanda
46. Omna Tigray
47. Organisation Guinéenne de Défense des Droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen (OGDH) - Guinea
48. Organisation Nationale des Droits de l'Homme (ONDH) - Sénégal
49. Oromo Legacy Leadership & Advocacy Association (OLLAA)
50. Pan African Lawyers Association (PALU)
51. Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA)
52. Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l'Homme (RADDHO)
53. Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
54. Security & Justice for Tigrayans
55. Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC)
56. Sudanese Human Rights Monitor (SHRM) - Sudan
57. Tigray Action Committee
58. Tigray Advocacy and Development Association UK
59. Tigray Youth Network
60. Union of Tigrayans in Europe
61. United Tegaru Canada
62. Women’s Association for Victims’ Empowerment (WAVE)-Gambia
63. Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) – Zimbabwe
