Tigray’s Survivors of Sexual Violence Still Await Care, Justice and Reparations

Content note: This article discusses conflict related sexual violence without graphic descriptions.

The armed conflict that began in northern Ethiopia in November 2020 exposed civilians across Tigray, Amhara and Afar to grave violations. For women and girls in Tigray, sexual violence became one of its most devastating and enduring features. International investigations have documented patterns of rape, gang rape, sexual slavery and other forms of sexual and gender based violence.

A joint investigation by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the United Nations Human Rights Office found reasonable grounds to believe that all parties to the conflict committed sexual and gender based violence. The Ethiopian National Defence Forces, Eritrean Defence Forces and Tigray Special Forces were implicated in multiple reports of gang rape. Of the 30 women survivors interviewed by the investigators, nearly half reported being raped by multiple perpetrators. Survivors also reported unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. The investigators cautioned that stigma, trauma and restricted access to affected areas meant that the actual scale was probably much greater than the cases documented.

The United Nations International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia reached further findings in 2022. It found reasonable grounds to believe that members of the Ethiopian National Defence Forces, Eritrean Defence Forces and Fano committed widespread rape and sexual violence against Tigrayan women and girls. It also found that Tigrayan forces committed rape and sexual violence against Amhara women and Eritrean refugees. The Commission concluded that members of the Ethiopian National Defence Forces committed rape and sexual violence as part of a widespread attack against Tigray’s civilian population and found reasonable grounds to believe that these acts amounted to crimes against humanity. It also identified rape, sexual slavery and sexual violence as war crimes committed by members of different forces. These findings require individual and command responsibility to be determined through independent investigations rather than blame being assigned collectively to any community.

The number of documented survivors provides only a partial picture. In its 2023 report, the United Nations Commission consolidated information from seven one stop centres in Tigray. More than 10,000 survivors, primarily women and girls, had sought care between November 2020 and July 2023. This was not an estimate of the total number of victims. It counted only people who reached those centres despite insecurity, damaged health services, fear of retaliation and social stigma.

The Commission also documented rape and sexual violence after the agreement that ended large scale hostilities was signed on 2 November 2022. It reported incidents involving Eritrean and Amhara forces and received credible information that more than 100 girls below the age of 18 had experienced rape or other severe sexual violence during the period following the agreement, particularly in areas where Eritrean forces remained. It found reasonable grounds to believe that members of the Eritrean Defence Forces were responsible for continuing crimes of rape and sexual violence against women and girls in Tigray.

The consequences extend far beyond the assaults themselves. Survivors may experience physical injuries, sexually transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancies, reproductive health complications, depression, trauma, family separation and social exclusion. Some are caring for children born following rape while living with displacement, poverty and limited access to health services. Fear of stigma can prevent survivors from reporting crimes or seeking treatment.

The destruction of health and social services made these harms more severe. Assessments reported by the United Nations Population Fund in March 2021 found that nearly 70 per cent of 106 assessed health facilities in Tigray had been looted, 30 per cent had been damaged and only 13 per cent were functional. The displacement of health workers and shortages of medicines and equipment further restricted access to emergency and continuing care.

Some assistance has since reached affected communities. In May 2023, the United Nations Population Fund reported that 5,000 women and girls had received psychosocial and reproductive health services through women and girl friendly spaces. A further 1,000 had received medical, psychosocial and legal assistance at one stop centres. These services are essential, but the number of people who obtained care and the continuing needs documented by international investigators demonstrate that the response remains insufficient.

Accountability also remains limited. The United Nations Commission reported in 2023 that it knew of only 13 concluded and 16 pending Ethiopian military court cases concerning conflict related sexual violence. It concluded that these proceedings could not constitute meaningful justice when compared with the scale of reported violations and Ethiopia’s wider history of impunity.

Survivors must be central to every response. They require confidential medical care, mental health support, sexual and reproductive health services, legal assistance, safe accommodation and support for rebuilding their livelihoods. Children born following sexual violence must receive protection and services without discrimination. Survivors should never be pressured to disclose their experiences publicly or participate in proceedings without informed consent and adequate protection.

The Ethiopian and Eritrean authorities must conduct independent and impartial investigations into allegations involving their forces. Other armed actors must also be investigated wherever credible evidence exists. Investigations should examine individual conduct, command responsibility and any failure to prevent or punish crimes. Evidence must be preserved, witnesses protected and survivors included in designing justice and reparations programmes.

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has called for perpetrators of sexual violence in armed conflict to be prosecuted and for survivors to receive medical and psychosocial assistance, adequate compensation, rehabilitation and accessible reparations. It has also stressed that women must participate in developing and implementing these programmes.

For survivors in Tigray, the end of large scale fighting did not end the consequences of the violence. Peace must mean more than the absence of active warfare. It must include safety, recognition, sustained care, truth, justice and reparations delivered with dignity and according to survivors’ choices.