The United Nations Human Rights Council has voted to launch an international investigation into abuses in Ethiopia’s 13-month conflict amid warnings of looming “generalised violence”.
The resolution, brought by the European Union and backed by Western states, passed on Friday despite objections from Ethiopia’s government, which accused the UN body of being used as an “instrument of political pressure” and pledged not to cooperate.
The vote at the 47-member forum in Geneva was 21 states in favour, 15 against including China and Russia, and 11 abstentions.
The African Group of countries had also called for the resolution to be rejected, saying that the proposed investigative mechanism was “counterproductive and likely to exacerbate tensions”. Six African countries, including Senegal and Sudan, broke ranks and abstained.
A three-member panel of experts will have a year to “establish the facts and circumstances surrounding the alleged violations and abuses, to collect and preserve evidence, and to identify those responsible”, according to the resolution.
Earlier, Nada al-Nashif, the deputy rights chief, told the council the UN was continuing to receive “credible reports” that all sides in the conflict between government forces and fighters from the northern Tigray region have been committing severe human rights violations.
Al-Nashif warned that the risk in Ethiopia “of increasing hatred, violence and discrimination is very high”, which could lead to “generalised violence, [with] major implications, not only for millions of people in Ethiopia, but also across the region”.
An estimated 5,000 to 7,000 people are detained, including nine UN staff, under a state of emergency and its “excessively broad provision” declared by the government last month.
“Many are detained incommunicado or in unknown locations. This is tantamount to enforced disappearance, and a matter of very grave concern,” al-Nashif said.
Ethiopia had earlier slammed the decision to hold the special session and had urged countries to vote against the draft text.
“We call on all council members to … stand against short-sighted interests and refuse the politicisation of human rights by rejecting this resolution,” said ambassador Zembe Kebede, accusing the Geneva-based body of having been “hijacked”.
The government said in a later statement that it “will not cooperate with the established mechanism imposed upon it against its consent”.
“No more to double standards; no more to unilateral coercive measures; and no more to meddling in internal affairs under the pretext of human rights,” it said, adding it was “extremely disappointed”.
Ethiopian authorities have launched their own investigation into the crimes and have taken part through Ethiopia’s human rights commission in a joint investigation by the UN rights office.
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