Justice Denied: Ethiopia’s Ongoing Human Rights Crisis

• In Event: Human Rights from Global Perspective: Violence, Slavery, and Rule of Law

Abstract

The Ongoing armed conflict in Ethiopia has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians and troops. Amnesty International and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission have reported numerous international crimes, including crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide, committed by both parties involved in the conflict. OBJECTIVE: This Paper aims to analyze the systemic failures in prosecuting war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, with a focus on legal accountability and human rights protection particularly in the wake of ongoing armed conflicts. This raises a critical question: how can the criminal justice system ensure accountability for the numerous human rights violations and suffering? METHODOLOGY: This paper employs a case study analysis to characterize these crimes and analyze their occurrence from international criminal law and criminology perspectives. RESULT: Although Ethiopian laws recognize war crimes and crimes against humanity, there was no satisfactory criminalization of personnel who have been involved in torture, killings, and massacres against civilians that occurred in the past few years. CONCLUSION: The failure of the criminal justice system undermines the rule of law and perpetuates impunity. Accordingly, this paper advocates for independent investigations and human rights protection to ensure justice.

Author

• Abraham Sahilu Abegaz, University of Michigan-Dearborn