Subcommittee on International Human Rights Committee on Oct. 21st, 2022

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I want to thank the witnesses for being here today. That testimony was incredibly difficult to hear. I imagine that everyone in this room has been.... Our hearts certainly go with you as we hear that testimony.

It isn't new testimony, unfortunately. We have been hearing from the Tigrayan community and from humanitarian organizations that this has been happening for such a long time. We heard from the chief of the World Health Organization in March that the situation in Tigray is affecting the health of millions of people and there is “nowhere on Earth” where it is worse than what is happening in Tigray.

When we hear these stories of rape as a weapon of war, the weaponization of the attack of civilians, child soldiers and the failure to provide humanitarian access, I am struck by the fact that Canada has a feminist international assistance policy and is supposed to have a feminist foreign policy. Those two pieces mean that Canada must play a bigger role in this.

I'm also struck by the similarities in what we're hearing with regard to the language and the actions to the genocide that happened in Rwanda and Canada's declaration that we would not let that happen again.

Ms. Teich, perhaps I'll start with you. How do you see this as being similar to what we saw in Rwanda? Is there a role for Canadian peacekeepers, for example, to play there? Could you reflect on that, please?

[Sarah Teich]

Thank you. It's a great question.

I see a lot of similarities with Rwanda as well. As far as peacekeeping forces go, I think Canadian involvement is a great idea, particularly because of the failures of the African Union and, as we've heard already, its proximity to the Ethiopian government.

Also, to use another quote from the WHO chief—I don't have the particular quote in front of me—he said something to the effect that there's a “very narrow window now to prevent genocide”. I think that's really striking. We should really be getting on the ground of this now. There's no time to waste. I agree with everything you said.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Thank you.

I would also ask both of you to comment on the fact that we heard in the last panel that there is risk to declaring this genocide, in that it will cause escalation. It will inflame a very difficult, regionally political situation.

However, we've also heard that the failure of the international community to step up to raise the issues of what is happening in Tigray has given some impunity.... Our appeasement has resulted in impunity by the Ethiopian government and Eritrean forces to continue to take this on.

Perhaps both of you could comment on that and your thoughts on Canada declaring this as a genocide.

[Dr. Hayelom Mekonen]

I think Canada and the international community's failure has emboldened both the Eritrean and Ethiopian governments. By declaring these atrocities, I don't think things will be aggravated by it. Once they know that they will not live with impunity, and once they know that they will face justice, they can even counter the terms and make a little bit of negotiation.

Canada, in my view, has very good leverage on the central government of Addis, but so far, Canada, in my view, has not used that leverage. The leverage would help the government to back its track, and then to at least reduce the civilian atrocities. You can't fight with the military, but it would be the civilian atrocities and the rape.

Also, the government by itself has invited Eritrea, a foreign country, to decimate all its own population. Canada also has relations with Eritrea, so they could have been doing much better with the Eritrean government so that these two, the Eritrean government and the Ethiopian government, would at least understand that they will not be left with impunity and they will face justice if they continue.

Canada can have a very central role now when this African Union-led initiative comes. As I mentioned before, the African Union by itself, alone, cannot solve this very complicated matter. Countries like Canada, the United States and others would have a very good track on the central government.

In terms of declaring genocide, I don't think things would be aggravated on the ground.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sameer Zuberi]

Thank you, Dr. Mekonen.

Members, we will now continue to our final round of two minutes each. I would just ask you to keep your clocks on and keep an eye on me personally for the timing.

Mr. Ehsassi, you have two minutes.

[Ali Ehsassi, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to our two witnesses.

First, we know that Canada has provided $45 million of assistance. Is there any evidence that this assistance is helping individuals in the most affected areas of Ethiopia? Has it arrived?

[Dr. Hayelom Mekonen]

If that question is for me, I am not sure. For instance, in Tigray, the sexual abuse survivors there couldn't get any support, and they're still just left in limbo, without any medical supplies or hygiene materials. I'm not sure if the Canadian generosity has reached the poor in those areas. Of that I'm not sure.

I think it's up to the Canadian government to ask whether these girls and women, for instance, have been getting supplies or some help and assistance from the generous people of Canada and the Government of Canada.

[Ali Ehsassi, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Fair enough. Thank you for that.

Ms. Teich, perhaps I could go to you. Has any member of the international community declared genocide to be occurring in Ethiopia right now?

[Sarah Teich]

Not to my knowledge, but we have seen the term “a serious risk of genocide” being used by, for example, the WHO chief recently.

[Ali Ehsassi, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Thank you very much.

I believe I'm out of time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sameer Zuberi]

You have 30 seconds.

[Ali Ehsassi, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Okay.

Ms. Teich, could you talk about the significance of the new UN report that came out on September 21? You referenced it, but perhaps you could elaborate.

[Sarah Teich]

That report documented some substantial evidence that relates to various prongs of genocide. It also clears up some of the competing narratives we were seeing on the ground by, for example, placing the blame squarely at the feet of the Ethiopian and allied governments for the denial of humanitarian assistance.

[Ali Ehsassi, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sameer Zuberi]

Thank you for that.

We'll continue our second round with Mr. Aboultaif.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

Thank you.

Ms. Teich, we seem to be in an impossible situation here. Why do you think it's difficult to motivate people to take action on the situation?

[Sarah Teich]

To answer bluntly, it seems to always be a bit difficult to motivate when we're dealing with Africa, and it's really unfortunate that it's a trend we have seen over many years. Also, there were competing narratives on the ground that were fuelled, among other things, by a blockage of Internet and cell communications. What we saw was a proliferation of the Ethiopian government narrative and not much ability to counter that effectively. To tie it back to this UN report that came out in September, part of the reason that's so important is that it cleared up some of those competing narratives.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

If there is any single thing that Canada can do to influence...in a way to ease the situation, what could that be?

[Sarah Teich]

I think one of the most important things—and the easiest, in the sense that Canada can do it now—is imposing sanctions. Particularly, I want to focus on Eritrea, because Canada has a history of sanctions on Eritrea, as many of you will know. We had sanctions on Eritrea, which were then removed. I can't recall if that was in 2018 or 2020. Maybe it was in 2018 that the Security Council removed them, and then Canada did in 2020. Maybe it was something like that.

Reimposing sanctions on Eritrea for its involvement in atrocities, and imposing sanctions on Ethiopian officials for their involvement in the atrocities, is something very tangible that Canada can do straight away.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sameer Zuberi]

Thank you for that.

Our next questioner will be Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe for two minutes.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Since this is the last time I'll have the floor today, I'd like to thank the witnesses for making time to appear before the committee and, above all, for giving us insight that will help us draft our report at the end of the study.

Ms. Teich, I listened closely to everything you said. I think you made an important point when you said that things were always more difficult when Africa was involved.

How does Canada's response to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia differ from its response to the conflict between Tigray and Ethiopia?

[Sarah Teich]

I'm sorry. Is that the difference in the reaction or the difference in motivation?

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

I'm talking about the difference in how Canada responded to the two conflicts.

If you feel the need to talk about the motivations, please go ahead.

[Sarah Teich]

When it comes to Ukraine, Canada has pulled out all the stops. It has reacted very quickly. It's reacted in a number of ways. Bringing in Ukrainian refugees happened very quickly. That's something very tangible that we can and should apply to the Tigrayan refugees in Sudan—65,000-plus, as I mentioned earlier—who are living under truly horrendous conditions.

In terms of a brief note on motivation, I can only guess, but Canada shares a border with Russia, so perhaps it's a little closer to home. However, the Canadian interest in a secure and human rights-complying African region is really important, as well, and shouldn't be overlooked.

Having a principled foreign policy approach means that we should be applying these principles wherever they occur, whether that's in Ukraine, whether that's in Ethiopia, whether it's in China or what have you.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you ever so much.