Children among those shot dead by troops in a November massacre in Axum, Ethiopia’s Tigray region, rights group says.
Eritrean forces shot dead hundreds of children and civilians in a November massacre in neighbouring Ethiopia’s war-hit Tigray region, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said.
Friday’s report was the second major analysis on Eritrean abuses in the town of Axum, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in the past week.
An Amnesty International investigation into the same events detailed how Eritrean troops “went on a rampage and systematically killed hundreds of civilians in cold blood”.
The findings from the rights watchdogs come as global concern mounts over atrocities by Eritrean troops in Tigray.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced military operations against the leadership of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), Tigray’s then-ruling party, in early November, saying they came in response to TPLF attacks on federal army camps.
Ethiopian and Eritrean forces entered Axum on November 20 after “indiscriminate” shelling that killed civilians, said the HRW report published on Friday.
The Eritreans then engaged in “widespread pillaging” as Ethiopian troops mostly looked on, the report said.
“I asked one soldier, why are you not doing anything, you are Ethiopian, and we are in Ethiopia; you are allowing the Eritreans to do this,” it quoted one resident as saying.
UN leaders on Thursday accused the Eritreans of possible crimes against humanity and urged them to pull out.
Addis Ababa and Asmara deny Eritrea is actively involved in Tigray.“He told me: We need an order from above.”
The massacre began on November 28 after Tigrayan militia members, joined by some residents, attacked Eritrean soldiers, HRW said.
After calling in reinforcements, the Eritreans began “moving through the town, going house to house, searching for young men and boys, and executing them”.
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