African Human Rights Index Program Warns of Renewed Violations Against Civilians in Tigray
Renewed violence exposes the risks of continued impunity and the widening gap between legal commitments and effective protection in Ethiopia
Cairo | 6 August 2026
El Hak Foundation for Freedom of Expression and Human Rights, through its African Human Rights Index Program, expresses its grave concern over the renewed violence in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia and the serious risks it poses to civilian safety.
The latest developments raise fears of a recurrence of the grave violations witnessed during the previous conflict.
These concerns follow renewed clashes in early August 2026 between Ethiopian federal forces and forces affiliated with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, amid escalating tensions and mutual accusations, including allegations by the federal government concerning forced recruitment and the mobilisation of civilians in the region.
The Foundation believes that the current developments should not be treated as isolated security incidents. They represent an early warning that the region may be sliding into another cycle of armed violence and widespread human rights violations.
These risks are particularly serious in light of continuing political and military tensions, weak independent monitoring mechanisms and stalled accountability processes concerning crimes committed during the conflict that began in 2020 and continued until the signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement in Pretoria in November 2022.
Grave violations without effective accountability
The previous conflict in Tigray witnessed grave violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, including unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detention, forced displacement, conflict-related sexual violence and obstruction of humanitarian assistance.
International mechanisms also documented acts of sexual violence and other serious violations, some of which may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The Foundation stresses that the continued absence of effective accountability for past violations remains one of the principal risk factors increasing the likelihood of their recurrence.
The failure to complete independent investigations, the weakness of transitional justice processes and the inability of victims to obtain truth, justice, reparations and guarantees of non-recurrence all contribute to an environment of impunity.
The termination of several previous international and regional investigative mechanisms raises further concerns about the existence of a gap in independent monitoring and documentation.
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights previously established a fact-finding mission concerning violations in Tigray before subsequently terminating its mandate. This requires a reassessment of the ability of the African human rights system to provide an effective preventive response should the escalation continue.
African Human Rights Index findings reveal Ethiopia’s implementation gap
The current risks are consistent with the findings of the Founding Edition of the African Human Rights Index 2025/2026 concerning Ethiopia.
Ethiopia received an overall score of 47% and was classified in the category of “very weak” performance.
Although Ethiopia recorded 187 points out of 202 in the structural dimension, which measures the strength of the constitutional, legislative and institutional framework, its performance declined to 65 points out of 212 in the implementation dimension and 55.1 points out of 219 in the outcomes and actual impact dimension.
Ethiopia therefore recorded the largest implementation gap among the countries covered by the Index, amounting to 131.9 points.
It received the following institutional diagnosis:
ADC-400: Disconnect between legal legitimacy and institutional effectiveness.
This result reflects the existence of broad constitutional and legal guarantees that are not matched by an equivalent level of effective rights protection or by effective justice and accountability institutions.
The Index report confirms that Ethiopia recorded the widest gap between the structural framework and actual outcomes among the countries examined, demonstrating the limited translation of legal commitments into practical protection.
The Index Atlas also classifies Ethiopia as a country facing a very high level of risk. It identifies the impact of armed conflicts, weak enforcement of constitutional guarantees and pressures on judicial independence as major weaknesses in the country’s human rights protection system.
These findings confirm that the current crisis in Tigray is not solely related to the availability of legal texts and formal guarantees. It also concerns the capacity of state institutions and other relevant actors to translate those commitments into practical and effective protection for civilians.
Shady Amin: Preventing renewed violations requires independent monitoring and effective accountability
Shady Amin, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of El Hak Foundation for Freedom of Expression and Human Rights, said:
“The renewed violence in Tigray represents a real test of the ability of both the national and African systems to move from delayed responses to violations towards preventive action to protect civilians. The African Human Rights Index findings demonstrate that Ethiopia possesses an advanced legal framework, but the gap between that framework and practical reality is the largest among the countries covered by the Index. Preventing another cycle of violations therefore requires independent monitoring, effective accountability and a clear commitment by all parties to protect civilians.”
Demands of El Hak Foundation and the African Human Rights Index Program
El Hak Foundation and the African Human Rights Index Program call for the following measures:
- An immediate cessation of all hostilities and the suspension of any military or security operations that may place civilians or civilian objects at risk.
- Full compliance by the Ethiopian federal government, the Tigray authorities and all armed forces and groups with international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
- Guaranteed access to humanitarian assistance, medical services, food and water in all affected areas without restriction or discrimination.
- Immediate access for independent human rights monitors, media organisations and humanitarian agencies, enabling them to perform their work without restriction, intimidation or threats.
- The establishment of an independent and continuous mechanism to monitor and document violations, with particular attention to the protection of women, children and displaced persons and to conflict-related sexual violence.
- An end to forced recruitment, arbitrary detention, restrictions on freedom of movement and the targeting of journalists, media institutions and human rights defenders.
- Urgent measures to prevent hate speech and incitement to violence or discrimination based on ethnic or political identity, and accountability for those responsible.
- The resumption and implementation of a comprehensive and independent transitional justice process that guarantees victims’ rights to truth, justice, reparations and guarantees of non-recurrence, without replacing independent and effective criminal investigations.
Call to the African Union and regional and international mechanisms
The Foundation calls upon the African Union to activate its role as the mediator and political guarantor of the Pretoria Agreement.
It should dispatch an urgent mission to assess compliance with the Agreement, evaluate the risks of escalation and support the resumption of dialogue between the parties.
The Foundation also calls on the African Union Peace and Security Council to place the developments in Tigray on its agenda and activate early-warning mechanisms to monitor civilian protection, displacement, sexual violence, incitement and restrictions on humanitarian access.
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights should consider reactivating an independent monitoring or fact-finding mechanism or mandate the relevant special mechanisms and rapporteurs to conduct public and regular follow-up concerning the situation of civilians in Tigray.
The Foundation further calls on the United Nations and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to support the establishment of an independent monitoring mechanism, provide technical assistance for documenting violations and preserving evidence, and ensure that victims’ rights are not marginalised in any political or security settlement.
El Hak Foundation and the African Human Rights Index Program stress that preventing renewed violations in Tigray requires immediate action before the confrontation expands, rather than waiting for another wave of civilian casualties.
The Foundation reiterates that civilian protection, accountability, independent monitoring and implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement are legal and political obligations that must not be subordinated to military bargaining or political calculations.