Foreign Affairs Committee on Feb. 17th, 2022

[Ali Ehsassi, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Thank you very much for that.

As I understand it, our focus has always been on providing funding so that we can gather evidence as to human rights violations that are going on throughout the country. Just recently a complaint was filed with the African Union human rights commission. In your estimation, how promising a development is that?

[Tarik Khan]

I think engagement of the African Union on the issue of human rights violations is critical. It's been made clear to us by many of the African countries in the region, as well as by the Government of Ethiopia, that this is an African issue and they expect to seek African solutions.

Of course, we contribute to the African Union and to many of the organs of the African Union. We hope that will [Technical difficulty—Editor] in what has been filed with the African Union commission. I'm not aware of this particular complaint that's been filed, but there is, obviously, an important coherence as well with the work of the AU high representative for peace. The ability for Africans to file a complaint within their own institutions is a very promising sign as well.

[Ali Ehsassi, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Completely—but I'm not too certain as to the capacity of the human rights commission of the African Union.

That being said, as I understand it, we have provided financial assistance through the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and to the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission. They are gathering evidence as to wholesale human rights violations. What is the purpose of that? What comes out of that particular process?

[Tarik Khan]

The work of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission is really critical in terms of the ability for the international community to receive an independent investigative report on the extent of human rights in the country. As we all know, there's been real difficulty in accessing certain areas of the country. There is a strong propaganda war going on in terms of all the parties to the conflict and the kind of information they release about rights violations that have been perpetrated. There are all kinds of risks and the potential for misinformation, or fake news, related to human rights violations.

The ability of the UN's OHCHR, which we consider to be one of the most important organizations within the UN system, to go in and investigate independently is really critical. For it to do so in partnership with an Ethiopian organization, the human rights commission, is also equally important.

When we funded that report—

[The Chair, Liberal, Sven Spengemann]

Thank you.

[Tarik Khan]

I just wanted to say that the results of that report are essentially what informs so much of the diplomatic engagement and political engagement around the situation in Ethiopia. This is our core source of information.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sven Spengemann]

Thank you, Mr. Ehsassi.

Mr. Bergeron, you have six minutes.

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Montarville, QC]

Mr. Khan, you said earlier that African leaders have emphasized the importance of finding an African solution to the conflict in Ethiopia. A meeting of African heads of state was held on February 5 and 6 at the African Union Summit. The summit was held in the Ethiopian capital.

Are there any comments, conclusions, proposals or typically African solutions to help us resolve the conflict?

[Tarik Khan]

Thank you for the question.

At the African Union Summit, which took place a few days ago, the new chairperson was also introduced. Every year, a different person holds the position of chairperson.

Chairperson Macky Sall from Senegal outlined his priorities. These include conflict resolution and peace and security. Although they didn't focus on the situation in Ethiopia, it's certainly one crisis that the organization must address. I think that it will be interesting to see what role the union will play.

The role of high representative Obasanjo is now key to the institution and to mediation efforts in Ethiopia.

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Montarville, QC]

Thank you for this response, which sheds light on the fact that the Africans want an African solution, but didn't address this issue much at the latest summit, from what I understand.

I want to focus on the three goals that we're pursuing in this conflict: “seeking the cessation of hostilities and supporting efforts toward a political resolution”; “calling for immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access and the protection of civilians in Tigray and other conflict‑affected areas”; and “calling for the perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses to be held accountable.”

You noted that the Prime Minister spoke four times with his counterpart, Abiy Ahmed, and that the Minister of Foreign Affairs spoke once with her counterpart. At that time, the efforts to facilitate humanitarian aid and to bring perpetrators of crimes and abuses to justice were discussed.

How would you assess the progress to date on each of these three goals?

[Tarik Khan]

Thank you for the question.

I think that the progress has been slow and insufficient. We haven't seen much progress, especially in the three areas that I referred to.

That said, there has been some very recent progress. The possibility of mediation and a national dialogue among the parties to the conflict in Ethiopia is a little more promising. The fact that the government lifted the state of emergency in the country is also promising in terms of access to humanitarian aid and the issue of arbitrary detentions in recent months. I'm speaking with cautious optimism. I think that the parties to the conflict have reached a certain level of fatigue.

After, or as a result of, all the diplomatic and political actions, the government of Ethiopia clearly believes that its reputation is at risk. This country has portrayed itself as very progressive and as a leader among African countries. It's now facing a humanitarian crisis, an economic downturn and a conflict that seemingly can't be resolved without a national dialogue and mediation.

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Montarville, QC]

Last June, Ms. Gould, who was the Minister of International Development at the time, announced $7 million, from what I understood, to help organizations on the ground deliver humanitarian aid.

However, according to the World Food Programme, no convoy has reached the Tigray region since mid‑December 2021.

My question is very simple. Does it seem as though the $7 million to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid has been helpful or has it been wasted?

[Tarik Khan]

Thank you.

This is a significant question in terms of our humanitarian aid and its delivery. I'll just say that, in 2021, we committed $43 million to address humanitarian needs in crisis‑affected areas of Ethiopia.

I'll turn to my colleague, Mr. Salewicz, who can talk about the different projects and the $7 million that you referred to.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sven Spengemann]

Please keep it short.

[Stephen Salewicz, Director General, International Humanitarian Assistance, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development]

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you for the question.

Indeed, as Mr. Khan has indicated, the government provided $43 million in humanitarian assistance last year. We provide this money very flexibly to our partners. There are a number of humanitarian crises going on in Ethiopia beyond Tigray. There's a drought, inter-communal conflicts and refugee crises, so our funds are for the totality of that response. It's provided very flexibly to our partners so that they can respond as the operational context allows. When there's a blockage in Tigray, they can shift to other parts of the country and respond to the many needs that exist there.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sven Spengemann]

We'll have to leave it there in the interest of time.

Thank you, Mr. Bergeron.

I will now give the floor to Ms. McPherson for six minutes.

Please go ahead.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I want to thank all of the witnesses today for sharing this information with us. I think this is one of the most pressing issues that this committee will be looking at. We have seen just horrific things in the Tigray region.

I do want to very quickly touch back on the question that Monsieur Bergeron had just asked.

When you talk about the funding for the Tigray region that the Canadian government has provided, I understand the need for flexibility, but we need to make sure that some of that aid was getting to the Tigray region. It sounds like that is not a stipulation.

Do we know for sure that any of those dollars have gotten to the Tigray region, which is the region that we know has been blockaded and does not have access to the medical supplies, the fuel and the food that is required? I just want to make sure that I'm understanding that correctly.

Could you clarify that for me please?

[Stephen Salewicz]

Sure. Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the question.

Indeed Tigray is an important part of the equation for us in terms of the humanitarian response. As I indicated, the needs span the whole country. There's a long-running humanitarian crisis there.

As Mr. Khan has indicated, humanitarian access is the critical concern. No one is denying that the challenges exist. Indeed, OCHA has indicated that only 10% of the convoys or supplies that are required have gotten through since July. Our money is available for the response, but it can only support a response when it's possible.

We support WFP, which provides food to Tigray. We support OCHA, which has projects going on inside. I could go through some of those projects if you like.

Indeed, our money is directed to Tigray as well. I can definitely confirm that.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

We're hearing that that aid is not getting to the region and that it is a very desperate situation.

I want to revisit the idea that some humanitarian and human rights challenges are happening in that area. Amnesty International has reported the widespread use of sexual, gender-based violence as a weapon of war. The former minister of women, children and youth of Ethiopia resigned from her cabinet position because it was being used as a weapon of war. We have seen drone attacks on a school that was housing internally displaced people.

These attacks on human rights are quite dire. UNICEF has said that thousands of children have been separated from their parents. I'm very concerned about the human rights implications and our failure, I guess, to be as vocal as we need to be against those.

I'd like some comment on that, please.

[Tarik Khan]

I can respond to that question.

The human rights situation you have outlined is indeed the same that we see and hear on the ground in Ethiopia. There are serious violations perpetrated by all parties to the conflict. I think we have been very vocal in all of our diplomatic and political engagements. We have been reminding of the importance of respect for human rights and calling for accountability for human rights. We've done this in a number of places at the Human Rights Council. We have done it in a number of the calls that we've made to the leader and foreign minister level. We raise this issue regularly with all of the normative bodies that deal with human rights.

On the question of whether those human rights violations continue, unfortunately there is not a satisfactory answer to that. The sense is that violations do continue.

You mentioned sexual and gender-based violence. It is a serious concern to us that this has been used as a weapon of war by all parties. We are intending to—

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

You say “by all parties”. My understanding of it is that it's quite clearly being used more on the side of the Ethiopian government. Is that not your understanding?

[Tarik Khan]

Our understanding is that all parties have perpetrated serious human rights violations. These were also revealed in the OHCHR Ethiopian Human Rights Commission report. It did make that allegation of all of them.

I think we do need to have that independent investigative reporting on all of them.

I just wanted to add that we are going to be providing funding for new projects that will help at least the victims of SGBV in some specific contexts in Ethiopia.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Obviously, I think we can all agree that preventing victims of that is the first priority.

[Tarik Khan]

Yes.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

I spoke to retired Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire. I had some real questions for him on the use of child soldiers and how you can see—obviously he has great experience in this—if a genocide is coming and if a genocide is being perpetrated against a people. As he is an expert and a Canadian hero, frankly, I wanted to get his perspective. He spoke about the weaponization of children and how that is a clear indication that a genocide may be taking place.

Have you seen indications of this? Have you heard reports of this? Can you comment on the weaponization of children as child soldiers?