Ethiopian PM admits Eritrean troops entered Tigray, atrocities committed

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has confirmed for the first time that troops from neighbouring Eritrea have been in the northern Tigray region after the conflict began in November and that atrocities had been committed. It's the first such acknowledgement after months of denials.

Women gather to mourn the victims of a massacre allegedly perpetrated by Eritrean soldiers in the village of Dengolat, north of Mekele, the capital of Tigray, on February 26, 2021 EDUARDO SOTERAS AFP/File

In a parliamentary address on Tuesday, Abiy confirmed for the first time that atrocities, including rape, had been reported in Tigray where fighting persists as government troops hunt down fugitive leaders. He promised perpetrators would be punished.

For months now both countries have denied that troops crossed the border.

“Reports indicate that atrocities have been committed in Tigray region. Regardless of the TPLF propaganda of exaggeration, any soldier responsible for raping our women & looting communities in the region will be held accountable as their mission is to protect.”#PMAbiyResponds pic.twitter.com/bNbC1Q7uDz

— Office of the Prime Minister - Ethiopia (@PMEthiopia) March 23, 2021

Fighting erupted in Tigray after forces loyal to the then-governing party there - the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) - attacked army bases across the region overnight and in the early hours of 4 November, 2020.

The attacks initially overwhelmed the federal military, which later mounted a counter-offensive alongside Eritrean soldiers and forces from the neighbouring region of Amhara.

Abiy said Eritrean troops had crossed the border because they were concerned they would be attacked by TPLF forces, but the Eritreans had promised to leave when Ethiopia's military was able to control the border. The TPLF repeatedly fired rockets at Eritrea after the conflict began.

Wasu daga cikin dubban mutanen da suka tsere daga yankin Tigray a kasar Habasha, sakamakon fadan da ake gwabzawa tsakanin 'yan tawayen TPLF da dakarun gwamnati. AP - Nariman El-Mofty

The governments of both Eritrea and Ethiopia repeatedly denied Eritrea's involvement in the war, despite reports from rights groups like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, which documented the killings of hundreds of civilians by Eritrean soldiers in the holy city of Axum.

• Human rights group claims Eritrean troops killed hundreds in Ethiopia
• Thousands of starving people flee Tigray, US denounces ‘ethnic cleansing’

Reuters journalists on a trip to Tigray last week saw hundreds of men wearing Eritrean uniforms in buses with Eritrean plates on the main road between the regional capital Mekelle and Shire, and on the main streets of Shire.

Abiy quoted the Eritreans as saying to Ethiopian authorities: "You left the trenches while searching for the enemy in central Tigray. So, while you attacked them, they might come to us. We controlled areas along the border because we have our national security concerns. But if your army can control the trenches, we will leave the next day."

He said the Ethiopian government had also raised accusations of widespread looting and rights abuses by Eritrean soldiers in Tigray.

"The Eritrean government has highly condemned it and said they will be accountable if any of their army participated in this," he said.

In this file photo a man stands in front of his destroyed house in the village of Bisober in Ethiopia's Tigray region, on December 9, 2020. - The United Nations announced on December 17, 2020 a $35.6 million emergency aid package for civilians caught up in fighting in Ethiopia's Tigray region. Violence broke out in Tigray in early November when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched military operations targeting Tigray's ruling party. In Ethiopia itself, $25 million will go toward the purchase of medicine and medical gear to help sick or (Photo by EDUARDO SOTERAS / AFP) AFP - EDUARDO SOTERAS

Rape and torture

Dozens of witnesses in Tigray told Reuters that Eritrean soldiers routinely killed civilians, gang-raped and tortured women and looted civilian households and crops. Some provided images of Eritrean trucks loaded with household goods.

Abiy also addressed reports of abuses by Ethiopian soldiers.

"There were atrocities that were committed in Tigray region ... reports indicate that atrocities were being committed by raping women and looting properties," he said, without naming the forces accused.

"Any member of the national defence who committed rape and looting against our Tigrayan sisters will be held accountable."

But Tigray's police service is not functioning and civilian authorities told Reuters they have no ability to investigate the military.

• UN will need support of African states in Tigray conflict, says leading analyst

The United Nations has raised concerns about atrocities committed in Tigray during the conflict, while U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has described acts carried out in the region as "ethnic cleansing", accusations that Ethiopia has denied.

In his parliamentary speech, Abiy also addressed a border dispute with Sudan, which is hosting about 60,000 refugees from Tigray and which is in dispute with Ethiopia over a giant hydropower dam that Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile.

Abiy sought to cool tensions over disputed farmland on the border, where dozens have been killed in sporadic clashes.

"Sudan is a brotherly country. We don't want to fight with Sudan," Abiy said. "Sudan is not in a position to fight against any neighbours, it has many problems. Ethiopia has also many problems, we are not ready to go to battle so we don't need war. It is better to settle it in a peaceful manner."

(Reuters)