Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Good afternoon. My name is Mala Khanna, and I'm the assistant deputy minister for Global Affairs' sub-Saharan Africa branch.
I am here today to speak to you about the situation in Tigray, where the armed conflict that erupted in November 2020 continues unabated with devastating impacts for millions of civilians and with serious implications for security and stability in the region, notably Somalia, Sudan and Eritrea. I am joined today by four colleagues with experience on the humanitarian development and political elements of our response.
Canada has a comprehensive relationship with Ethiopia. It is one of the largest recipients of Canadian development assistance and a close partner for Canada, particularly on multilateralism, on the women, peace and security agenda, and on peacekeeping.
Ethiopia has one of the fastest growing economies on the continent, and commercial ties are growing. Ethiopia's capital is also home to the African Union, the continent's leading intergovernmental body. With 112 million people, Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa. While the country traces its history back for millennia, its democratic traditions are relatively recent.
A new era began in 2018 as the country emerged from 27 years of dominance by a single party. Prime Minister Abiy put forward a vision for a peaceful, inclusive, democratic, multi-ethnic and prosperous Ethiopia. Canada and much of the international community warmly welcomed this vision. However, the current conflict has put this vision at risk, especially in light of the planned national elections in June 2021.
Ethiopia's government is struggling to address deeply-rooted ethnic rivalries and weak institutional mechanisms for negotiations and compromise. The economic situation is equally fragile, especially in light of the economic impact of the worsening pandemic, debt servicing and high youth unemployment. The country's long-standing stabilizing influence in the region has been significantly undermined by the crisis in Tigray, and its neighbours are rightly concerned about the repercussions.
The current crisis was ignited in November 2020 when the Tigrayan regional government, controlled by the Tigray People's Liberation Front, seized a federal military base in the northern province following two years of increasing tensions between the TPLF and federal authorities. The ensuing confrontation, framed by the government as a law enforcement operation, has proven to be a lengthy one and has drawn in additional combatants from within Ethiopia and from Eritrea. Border tensions with Sudan have also worsened.
There is broad consensus among the international community that serious and grave violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law have occurred, and continue to occur, in Tigray province that may amount to atrocity crimes. Many credible allegations have been made, potentially implicating all parties to the conflict, to a greater or lesser degree. Canada is particularly concerned about reports of widespread sexual and gender-based violence.
For instance, on February 5, the UN Special Adviser to the Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide released a warning that “a culture of impunity and lack of accountability for serious violations committed, perpetuates an environment that exposes the civilian population to a high risk of atrocity crimes”.
On March 4, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights released a statement highlighting reports of sexual and gender-based violence, extrajudicial killings, widespread destruction and looting of public and private property by all parties.
Prime Minister Abiy recognized in a parliamentary address on March 23 that atrocities had been committed in Tigray and without naming the forces accused implied that it included Eritrean forces, whose presence he also acknowledged. He further indicated that perpetrators would be held accountable.
Due to the disruption of telecommunication systems and limited access by the media, there remain many unanswered questions around the extent of the abuses and the violations, and the identity of the perpetrators.
Canada has joined others in calling for credible, independent and impartial investigations of the alleged atrocities committed in Tigray.
Officials were encouraged to see that the High Commissioner Bachelet agree to the Ethiopian request for a joint investigation, with the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission. While the information on the crisis focused on humanitarian implications, the conflict continues to resurface. According to the UN, approximately 4.5 million people—