More than 120,000 women were sexually abused during the war in the Ethiopian province of Tigray between 2020 and 2022. Despite efforts from NGOs, healthcare professionals, and lawyers, many victims are left to fend for themselves.
Mihret* wipes her tears on her white shawl, a traditional fabric worn by Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church followers: “It was two months ago. Eight Eritrean soldiers came into my house while a woman in uniform stood guard at the door. They told me that Tigrayans shouldn't live and that, as a Tigrayan, I shouldn't have children. They then raped me in front of my five children.” The 40-year-old sought help in one of the seven emergency clinics opened in Adigrat, a northern Ethiopian city, to care for and counsel victims of sexual violence.
Despite the official end of the war in Tigray in 2022, every day, the One-Stop Center receives new victims, adding to the more than 120,000 rape cases recorded by local authorities since the conflict began in 2020. Eritrean troops, who supported the central government in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian army, and their allies, the militias from Amhara, the neighboring region, are all accused of participating in this widespread sexual violence.
Fear of Social Ostracism
“Ninety percent of survivors receive no support, though a holistic approach is crucial for healing,” lamented Gebeyenesh Tadege, who coordinates the response to violence against women within the regional government. In her office in Mekele, the capital of Tigray, her eyes filled with tears as she acknowledged her powerlessness against the lack of financial resources and the silence of victims, who are terrified of social stigmatization. Mihret’s case, where her husband sought a divorce after she was first abused at the start of the war, is sadly common.
“This rejection is the main problem for survivors,” explained pianist Meseret Hadush. This artist used her fame from being a judge on a musical show to launch her NGO, Hiwyet (“Healing”), the day after the armistice. Thanks to donations, mainly from the diaspora, her team of 16 professionals has assisted 4,800 victims medically, psychologically, economically, and spiritually. “We teach them to raise poultry, make soap and candles, and even how to style hair and sew clothes so they can support themselves when they return home,” Hadush explained.
Horrific Abuse
Another NGO, the Tigray Women’s Association, has 620 places in its three shelters, where victims stay for an average of three months. Again, the limited budget hampers their ambitions. Only 27% of residents receive professional training, enabling them to start an activity afterward.
Isolated and often forced into begging, many victims despair at the prospect of obtaining justice. The commission investigating the Tigray genocide is working to record evidence of crimes committed during the war. Lawyer Yirgalem Gebretsadkan has analyzed 916 survivor interviews. It’s just the beginning, but the law professor at Mekele University stated: “The data indicates a real intent to destroy the uterus of Tigrayan women and, therefore, the Tigrayan race.”
Nails, nail clippers, and even genocidal messages protected by plastic have been extracted from many victims. HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases have surged. While waiting to be heard by the commission, Mihret clings to her antidepressants, her only remedy against the suffering that consumed these survivors.
Terrible Toll of the Tigray Conflict
From November 2020 to November 2022, a conflict pitted Ethiopian government forces, militias from neighboring regions, and Eritrean troops against the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) in the Tigray region bordering Eritrea. According to the African Union, the conflict has claimed more than 600,000 lives, with over 2.6 million displaced according to the United Nations. NGOs such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch condemn the use of rape as a weapon of war by government troops and their allies. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, faces criticism for atrocities committed by Ethiopian forces during the conflict.
(*This name has been changed for protection.)
© 2024 Bayard - All rights reserved