Ethiopian and Eritrean forces have waged a ‘devastating and genocidal war’ in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, the displaced leader in the region said.
Debretsion Gebremichael called on the international community to investigate the alleged atrocities.
The Ethiopian government said its allegations were “unfounded” and that its forces had accused them of “heinous crimes”.
The conflict erupted in November after the forces of Mr. Debretsion occupied the Ethiopian military bases in Tigray.
The Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy, responded by ordering a ground and air offensive, which led to his troops capturing the regional capital, Mekelle, on 28 November.
Mr. Debretsion fled the capital with fighters from his Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), promising to resist federal control of the region.
The conflict has left about two million people, or a third of Tigray’s population, displaced.
What exactly did the TPLF leader say?
It was the first time in more than two months that Mr. Debretsion has spoken in public. An audio recording of his comments, which lasted about 20 minutes, was broadcast on a Facebook account by a TPLF media.
“A devastating and genocidal war was waged against the people of Tigray because they decided to fight for their right to self-determination and they held a democratic election. The invasion and massacre continued. So did the struggle of the people of Tigray,” he said. said.
Mr Debretsion also alleges widespread incidents of murder, rape, torture and starvation.
It is unclear when the survey was made, but he cites the killings of other TPLF leaders, suggesting it was recent.
Mr Debretsion is wanted by the government on a charge of treason.
Authorities announced earlier this month that several senior TPLF members, including Ethiopia’s former Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin, had been killed in the conflict.
Mr Debretsion said the TPLF had suffered setbacks as “four governments” fought against it in Tigray.
‘Abiy Ahmed has invited forces, including the Eritrean army, and they are killing the people of Tigray.
“The atrocities must be investigated and all legal action against the invading forces must be taken,” he said.
The Eritrean and Ethiopian governments have previously denied that Eritrean troops are involved in the conflict.
But the U.S. State Department said last week that Eritrean troops are in Tigray, and they must withdraw immediately.
“Reliable reports” have emerged about their involvement in human rights violations, including sexual violence and looting, the state department said.
Mr Debretsion did not name the other countries involved in the conflict. Somalia has previously denied that its troops are fighting alongside Ethiopian forces in Tigray.
The TPLF also earlier claimed that United Arab Emirates (UAE) drones were being used to strike at its forces, but Ethiopia denies that the Gulf state was involved in the conflict.
What was the reaction of the government to the allegations of genocide?
A spokesman for Mr. Abiy, Billene Seyoum, told the BBC she could not ‘speak to the errors of a criminal clique’s Facebook page’.
“With regard to the rule of law, the criminal gang and their international representatives have tried to divert international attention by [making] “unfounded allegations of genocide in November to cover up the horrific crimes of the TPLF,” said Billene Seyoum.
The international community and media had to support the government’s efforts to bring the TPLF to justice, “instead of disguising it”, she added.
How bad is the conflict?
It was difficult to verify information about alleged atrocities due to media restrictions and a disguise of communication in areas affected by conflict in the mountainous region.
However, law enforcement agencies and aid agencies have reported the killings of civilians, as well as major damage and looting of homes, businesses, hospitals and food stores.
A government official, quoted in a leaked copy of notes taken during a meeting of humanitarian workers, said that ‘hundreds of thousands of people would starve to death’, and that some people had already died.
The government has said it is doing its best to deliver food to people.
What is the background of the conflict?
Apart from the ruling in Tigray, the TPLF was the dominant party in a coalition government at the federal level until Mr. Abiy entered service in 2018, following mass protests against his authoritarian rule.
The party held elections in Tigray last September, despite a decision at the federal level to postpone all polling stations due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Mr. Abiy then accused the TPLF of being in power illegally, while accusing him of leading an “illegal” government that no longer has a mandate to govern.
Tensions boiled up, and fighting broke out in early November.