Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the United Nations Human Rights Council's Report by the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia, published on 19 September; and in particular, the findings that (1) there are reasonable grounds to believe that violations, such as extrajudicial killings, rape, sexual violence, and starvation of the civilian population as a method of warfare have been committed in Ethiopia since 3 November 2020, and (2) in several instances these violations amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The UK welcomed the report of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE) and co-sponsored the resolution renewing the Commission's mandate at the 51st Session of the Human Rights Council on 22 September. We are appalled by the reports of widespread human rights violations and abuses in Ethiopia committed by all sides to the conflict, which in some cases are likely to amount to war crimes. It is important that survivors receive comprehensive support and perpetrators are held to account. We are urging all parties to cooperate with the Commission's investigations. Our Embassies in Addis Ababa and Asmara have raised these reports with the Ethiopian and Eritrean Governments, and the former Minister for Development did so with Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister Demeke on 19 October while visiting Ethiopia.