Tigray: Chemical Weapons

(asked on 20th May 2021) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of allegations reported in the Europe External Africa Report on Tigray, published on 19 May, that internationally banned chemical weapons have been used in the villages of Tigray; and what steps they are taking (1) to verify these reports, and (2), if confirmed, to hold those responsible to account.


Answered by
 Portrait
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This question was answered on 7th June 2021

The UK is appalled by reports of atrocities in Tigray and is aware of recent reports that civilians have again been victims of indiscriminate shelling. It is clear that the conflict in Tigray is being conducted with little regard for civilian welfare and as a consequence reports of civilian casualties are all too common.

Ethiopia is a state party of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and has not declared any Chemical Weapons programme. The Government of Ethiopia has denied that Chemical Weapons have been used. We are working to establish the facts. Access to the affected areas, and to verified information, remains difficult. We have consistently called for access for independent human rights investigators and will continue to do so.

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