ICRC urges both sides to respect humanitarian law

Thousands of soldiers have been wounded, killed or captured in the Ethiopia-Eritrea conflict, says the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The organisation said it was “deeply concerned about the humanitarian implications of the resumption of fighting”. In a statement, the ICRC called on both sides to adhere to international humanitarian laws, that require all the wounded and sick “without distinction” to be evacuated from the battlefield and be given appropriate medical care. Combatants killed in the fighting must be identified and afforded a decent burial and their grave sites must be duly marked. It said prisoners of war and civilian internees should be treated according to established Geneva Conventions and that “all necessary steps” should be taken to safeguard the civilian population. Both sides have claimed to have killed “thousands” of enemy soldiers since Ethiopia launched a surprise attack last Friday. ICRC personnel in Asmara and Addis Ababa have acknowledged to journalists and diplomats during the two-year conflict that both sides generally have a good record in the treatment of prisoners of war.