Abuses alleged in occupied territory

Eritrea on Thursday accused Ethiopia of serious human rights violations during the occupation of Eritrean territory in May, and asked for the UN to investigate and take action. In a statement to the UN sub-commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, Eritrean Diplomatic and Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Amara Taekle said "the behaviour of the invading forces fell much below the minimum of civilised behavior... even after the signing of the Cessation of Hostilities agreement [on 18 June]".

The statement alleged that Ethiopia had launched attacks on civilian targets; imprisoned, beaten and tortured civilians; raped and killed; and destroyed hospitals and clinics. Amara also accused Ethiopia of "ethnic cleansing" and forcible deportations, and of using forcibly conscripted children and "human mine-sweepers". Religious and historical buildings had been deliberately damaged and destroyed, and "grave breaches" of international humanitarian law had displaced close to one-third of the Eritrean population, the statement added.