(Source: Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation) –
Following years of ethno-political fragmentation and more recent election-related tensions, violence broke out in northern Ethiopia in early November 2020. The resulting conflict, which pitted Ethiopian federal forces and their Ethiopian and Eritrean allies against Tigrayan forces in the north of the country, continues through the present. It has been characterized by several atrocities, including massive and brutal conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV).
Because of its longtime relationship with Ethiopia and its leadership on the prevention of sexual violence in conflict, the government of the United Kingdom seeks to understand the nature, drivers, and impacts of CRSV in the current Ethiopian conflict. The UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) commissioned this study in order to answer (4) priority questions:
- Who is perpetrating CRSV in the conflict in Ethiopia?
- How is CRSV being used and by which armed group?
- Who is being targeted (e.g., ethnic identities, displaced populations, certain ages, detainees)?
- What services are available to CRSV survivors, and how accessible are they?
To answer these questions, the Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation (MF) and the Center for Human Rights, Gender and Migration at the Institute for Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis (CHRGM) collaborated on an independent study that involved the collection and analysis of diverse, reliable open source material about CRSV in the Ethiopian context, supplemented by in-depth key informant interviews. Data collection was conducted between February and May 2022, with content covering the period of November 2020 until 1 May 2022.
Continue reading the full report: Understanding Conflict Related Sexual Violence in Ethiopia