UN warns Ethiopia could descent into 'generalized violence'
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Several countries urged the United Nations to launch an investigation into the escalating violence in Ethiopia amid allegations of possible war crimes in the country.
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Ethiopian refugees in "Village 8" in the Gedaref region of Sudan on 20 November 2020 (AFP)
Several states have urged the UN Human Rights Council to send international investigators to Ethiopia, which has been severely hit by a devastating conflict, amid warnings of looming generalized violence.
Addis Ababa has accused the countries calling for the investigation of hijacking the process to "exert political pressure."
UNHCR deputy rights chief Nada al-Nashif warned that Ethiopia's 13-month Tigrayan conflict could "escalate into generalized violence" during an emergency meeting of the UN body.
This, she said, would have "major implications, not only for millions of people in Ethiopia but also across the region."
Ethiopia accused the session, which came at the request of the European Union with support of more than 50 countries, of serving as "an instrument of political pressure."
The meeting itself was called to consider launching an international investigation into allegations of severe abuses in Ethiopia, including mass killings and numerous degrees of violence.
"The gravity and scale of violations and atrocities committed against civilians by all sides, including sexual and gender-based violence and ethnic violence, is unacceptable," Slovenian ambassador Anita Pipan said on behalf of the EU.
UNSC called last month for a ceasefire in Ethiopia
Earlier this month, UN Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths warned that Ethiopia could descend into sectarian violence and experience an exodus similar to Kabul's if battles spread to the capital Addis Ababa.
The United Nations Security Council called last month for a ceasefire in Ethiopia, expressing its "deep concern" over the intensification of fighting in the north of the North African country.
Al-Nashif said Friday the rights office had continued "to receive credible reports of severe human rights violations and abuses by all parties" since a November investigation found that all sides to the conflict had possible war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Friday's draft resolution is calling on the council to create "an international commission of human rights experts on Ethiopia" to probe a wide range of alleged violations and abuses by all sides.
Ethiopia pushed back at the idea, underlining that it had cooperated with the joint investigation and launched its own probe.
