ETHIOPIA: Rights Abuses.

According to a report by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), rights violations against civilians in conflict zones in Ethiopia have become more widespread, with extrajudicial killings and kidnappings being denounced. The report covers the period from June 2023 to June 2024 and highlights the vulnerability of displaced people, particularly women, children, the elderly, and those with disabilities. The EHRC also commends the federal government's adoption of a transitional justice policy aimed at resolving past grievances. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has separately accused Ethiopian forces of committing war crimes against medical professionals, patients, and health facilities in the Amhara region. Clashes between government forces and armed groups in the Amhara region have resulted in numerous casualties, and student kidnappings have occurred in Oromia, with conflicting accusations between the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and state intelligence. In Tigray, the Ethiopian army has reportedly blocked the return of internally displaced people (IDPs), and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has warned of a return to war if the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) fails to re-register as a party. The regions of Afar and Somali have agreed to resolve a territorial border dispute that has caused clashes and casualties. [Extracted from the article]