Mekelle (Tigray Mass Media Agency)— On the fifth anniversary of the outbreak of the war on Tigray and the third anniversary of the Pretoria Peace Agreement, the emergence of new institution known as Tigray Common Position (TCP) has been announced in Mekelle. The institution seeks to coordinate global and local efforts to ensure justice for victims and survivors of atrocity crimes committed during the war on Tigray.
In a press briefing, representative of Tigray Common Position, Mebrahtu Kalayu indicates that the institution was formed through a broad coalition of Tigrayan civil society organizations, victims, diaspora members, and community leaders. He further adds that the primary goal is to pursue justice and accountability for atrocity crimes committed during the war on Tigray, while rejecting what he describes as flawed domestic mechanisms and advocating for credible international accountability.
Mebrhatu emphasizes that the war on Tigray from 2020 to 2022 involved widespread atrocity crimes including war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide as documented by international bodies. He condemns the international community for “abandoning justice” following the termination of the United Nations International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE), and dismissed the Ethiopian government’s transitional justice process as “illegitimate and exclusionary.”
In the press briefing, the representative of Tigray Common Position urges the United Nations and the African Union to immediately establish an independent international accountability mechanism to investigate and prosecute atrocity crimes committed during the war on Tigray. He calls on international partners to extend holistic support for genuine accountability efforts, and stand in solidarity with Tigrayan victims to help prevent future cycles of violence.
