Human Rights Commission in Ethiopia Calls for Tigrayans Release

The human rights watchdog has called for the immediate release of thousands of Tigrayans.

The Commission described their detention as illegal as they are being held in two detention camps in the north-eastern region of Afar.

It says around 9,000 Tigrayans have been held there since December last year, and they were from areas bordering Tigray where there has been a civil war.

The Addis Ababa government has said the ‘detainees’ were being held for their own safety and also to allow screening to find criminals, including people linked to the fighting.

The rights commission has reaffirmed that some of the detainees have previously said that the lack of medical help in the camps was causing outbreaks of disease something.

Earlier this week the government announced a negotiating team in a bid to end the war in Tigray.

BBC/CO