Deputy U.N. chief left near tears by rape accounts in Ethiopia

 

Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, arrives at United Nations headquarters during the 76th Session of the U.N. General Assembly, in New York, U.S., September 20, 2021. John Minchillo/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

Amina Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, said on Friday that she was extremely concerned by reports of Ethiopian women being raped, which she described as "your worst nightmare."

 

Mohammed told reporters in New York a day after returning from Ethiopia that hearing about the women's experiences, which included gang rape and rape in front of children, had brought her to tears.

 

She demanded justice for atrocities against women and described scenes of hunger in the country's crises.

 

"You can only picture what has happened to the ladies in Ethiopia in your wildest dreams," she said of the "very traumatic" visit. "For many, many Ethiopian mothers and children, healing will be a lifelong process."

 

The Ethiopian government and its allies, notably Afar troops, went to war in Tigray in November 2020, putting them against forces loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which dominates the province.

 

According to a joint inquiry by the UN and Ethiopia issued in November, all sides engaged in the war committed acts that may amount to war crimes. All sides are accused of torturing and killing civilians, committing gang rapes, and making arrests based on ethnicity, according to the report.

 

On Friday, Mohammed remarked, "Everyone is to fault... they were committed across borders and countries." "Justice and accountability must be achieved without a doubt."

 

The government has stated that individual soldiers have been prosecuted, but has not revealed any details, but the TPLF has stated that any soldiers found culpable will be punished.

 

The violence has been exacerbated by drought, which has resulted in starvation for hundreds of thousands of people in Tigray. Mohammed stated, "I saw starvation." "Clearly, there is starvation and a slew of diseases."

Source: Reuters