2020 Mekelle airstrikes
2020 massacre in Mekelle, Tigray Region, Ethiopia, as part of Tigray War
- Mass killing
- Shelling
Ethiopian National Defence ForceOn 28 November 2020, Mekelle (the capital city of the Tigray Region) was hit with an airstrike campaign during the Mekelle offensive of the Tigray War.[2]
Massacre
The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) killed dozens of civilians during the assault on Mekelle on 28 November 2020.[2] Tigray regional president Debretsion claimed that they were bombarding the city with artillery.[3] Ambulances rushed through the streets picking up dead and wounded after Ethiopian government artillery strikes.[1] Doctors in Mekelle sent text messages on the condition of anonymity to avoid reprisals from the government by using a rare internet connection in the city. They stated that indiscriminate artillery shelling targeted not only military areas, but also civilian neighborhoods, ended up killing 27 civilians (including a 4 year old child) and wounded around 100. The hospital staff provided pictures of their patients (including infants) having many shrapnel wounds.[1]
The "Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation" mentions 28 victims,[2] of which one has been formally identified.[4]
Reactions
The Ethiopian government denied bombarding the city with artillery.[3]
The [Joint Investigation Team] found that, following the shelling that was launched in the early hours, continuing into the evening of 28 November 2020, more than 15 civilian facilities, including public institutions located in Mekelle, were struck by artillery shells, resulting in at least 29 civilian deaths, including three (3) children. At least 34 civilians were injured. Witnesses mentioned that the attacks appeared to come from the direction of Mesebo mountains, which they claimed at the time were under the control of the ENDF.
— Report of the EHRC/OHCHR Joint Investigation into Alleged Violations of International Human Rights, Humanitarian and Refugee Law Committed by all Parties to the Conflict in the Tigray Region of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, EHRC, OHCHR[5]
References
- ^ a b c Marks, Simon; Walsh, Declan (2020-12-03). "From Shelled Ethiopian City, Doctors Tally Deaths and Plead for Help". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-12-04.
- ^ a b c d Annys, S., Vanden Bempt, T., Negash, E., De Sloover, L., Nyssen, J., 2021. Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation
- ^ a b "Ethiopian forces begin offensive on Tigray capital, say a diplomat and Tigrayan forces leader". Daily Sabah. Reuters. 2020-11-28. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
- ^ TGHAT, A compilation of the verified list of civilian victims from different sources[self-published source]
- ^ Tibebu, Israel (2021-11-03). "Report of the EHRC/OHCHR Joint Investigation into Alleged Violations of International Human Rights, Humanitarian and Refugee Law Committed by all Parties to the Conflict in the Tigray Region of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia" (PDF). EHRC, OHCHR. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-11-03. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
External links
- World Peace Foundation: Starving Tigray
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Tigray War
| History |
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|---|---|
| Prelude |
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- Northern Command attacks
- Battle of Humera
- Asmara rocket attacks
- Mekelle offensive
- Operation Alula
- TDF–OLA joint offensive
- 2021–2022 Ethiopian state of emergency
- ENDF National Unity Offensive
- Battle of Shire
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| Discrimination | |||||||||
| War crimes |
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| Food |
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| Investigations |
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Commons13°29′38″N 39°27′57″E / 13.49382°N 39.46589°E / 13.49382; 39.46589
