I am appealing to your good offices for your swift and timely action to ensure the safety of
Tigrayans, including university students who are currently arrested in Addis Ababa and other regions of Ethiopia because of their Tigrayan identity.
Deeply concerned for their safety and security, I am asking representatives of the international
community to visit the detention centers to ensure their safety and to make sure they have legal
representations and protection in accordance with national and international law.
I am most concerned over the news of the state-sponsored ethnic profiling of Tigrayans across Ethiopia. I fear the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, including university students, are now in danger. The massive campaign against Tigrayans has been intensified and is getting worse by the days. I call upon your esteemed office to make an immediate intervention to save the lives of these innocent Tigrayans throughout Ethiopia.
As you may be aware, new directives are being given by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali to city officials to take measures against Tigrayans as they see fit. Following the directives, thousands of businesses owned by Tigrayans in Addis Ababa and many other cities have been shut down and countless Tigrayans have been systematically arrested, tortured, forcibly disappeared and executed. This has been going now for months and I have now learned that innocent Tigrayan students are facing the same fate because of their identity.
The people of Tigray are fighting for survival, peace, liberty, freedom, and self-administration. However, contrary to the fundamental demand of the Tigray people, Abiy Ahmed’s government is actively engaged in vicious hate propaganda against Tigrayans by calling Tigrayans “day time hyena, weeds and cancer” and this has also put all Tigrayans at great risk. The Ethiopian government is openly committing genocide, ethnic cleansing, and Tigrayans are being treated as criminals, because of their ethnic background. As well, Tigrayans who arrived from Saudi Arabia have been arrested and treated as prisoners of war.
After occupying a number of Amhara and Afar cities, the defense Force of Tigray (TDF) withdrew from Amhara and Afar in order to give a chance to peach, however, PM Abiy Ahmed is not interested in peace instead, he is intensifying air and drone strikes all over Tigray, killing many civilians, including children. Furthermore, the government of Abiy Ahmed continues starving the people of Tigray to death, including children by blocking humanitarian aid, air and land transportation, gas and life-saving medical supplies, banking, telephone, electricity and internet services. Tigray as a region is under a complete siege which amounts to an act of genocide and crimes against humanity. In 1994, when the genocide in Rwanda was committed, the international community told the world that it will never happen again. During this 21 st century, it is very unfortunate that history is repeating itself and the international community is doing nothing to stop the genocide being committed in Tigray.
I am strongly appealing for your intervention to stop drone attacks on civilians; end the siege on
Tigray and protect the mass arrests, tortures, forced disappearances of Tigrayans all over Ethiopia by
ensuring that their legal and human rights are respected in accordance with the international human
rights law.
I hope that our request will receive your kind consideration.
Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely,