HRC47: Oral statement during interactive dialogue with the Special Adviser on Prevention of Genocide

Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the Special Adviser on Prevention of Genocide

Organisation:Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW)

Speaker:Claire Denman

Thank you, Madame President,

CSW thanks the Special Advisor for her work, and welcomes the Council’s continued attention on the prevention of the crime of genocide.

While this is a noble mandate, there are serious concerns that the Council may have failed in this regard in relation to the ongoing situation in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.

The region has witnessed a violent civil conflict since November 2020, and reports have continued to emerge of violations taking place which may amount to genocide.

The use of sexual violence as a weapon of war is widespread, with assailants regularly reported as speaking of “cleansing” the bloodline of victims and deliberately damaging their reproductive systems, drawing comparisons with campaigns of mass rape committed with genocidal intent in Bosnia and Rwanda.

Almost 2000 people, mostly men and boys, have been killed in 150 massacres confirmed so far. Tens of thousands face immediate peril due to a man-made famine, amidst reports of the deliberate destruction of crops, enforced prohibitions on farming, and Eritrean troops blocking or commandeering food aid.

We call for urgent international intervention, with a view to securing a permanent ceasefire and accountability for these horrific crimes.

Madame President, all too often genocide is not addressed while it is underway as attempts to do so become mired in international politics. We urge the Council to intervene swiftly whenever genocide is suspected.

Never Again must come to mean Never Again – for Anybody.

Thank you