February 2021 Gijet massacre
Coordinates: 13°19′24″N 39°10′27″E / 13.32345°N 39.17408°E
| Gijet massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of Tigray War | |
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| Location | Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 665: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Date | Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 665: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Target | Tigrayans |
Attack type | |
| Deaths | 195 civilians |
| Perpetrators |  Ethiopian National Defence Force |
The February 2021 Gijet massacre was a mass extrajudicial killing that took place in Gijet (Tigrinya: ጊጀት) in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia during the Tigray War, on 22 February 2021.[1] Gijet is the capital of woreda Saharti, Southwestern zone of Tigray. In peace time, Gijet is known for its’ incense market.[2]
Massacre[edit]
The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) killed 195 civilians in a massive attack on Gijet (Southeastern Tigray) on 22 February 2021,[1] in which at least 500 homesteads were burned down.[3] DX Open Network, a research organization based in the U.K., analysed Planet Labs imagery, taken before and after the attack. The imagery showed at least 508 structures that had been destroyed by fire, as evidenced by the blackening of earth and vegetation, ash circles indicative of collapse of the thatched roofs of roundavels, and debris from collapsed walls.[3]
In line with historical studies of massacres, including those massacres which were committed during the Armenian genocide,[4][5] a massacre can be defined as a conflict incident in which at least five unarmed civilians were killed on the same day at the same location. Typical massacres committed by Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers in the Tigray war are (1) revenge when they lose a battle; (2) to terrorise and extract information about whereabouts of TPLF leaders; (3) murder of suspected family members of TDF fighters; and (4) terrorising the Tigray society as a whole such as in case of mass killings in churches.[6]
Perpetrators[edit]
Reuters reported the perpetrators of this massacre as being Ethiopian soldiers.[3]
Reactions[edit]
Mulu Nega, head of Tigray’s interim administration, appointed by the Ethiopian government, said he had sent a team to Gijet to investigate.[3] The Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation,[1] that documented this massacre received international media attention, particularly regarding its Annex A, that lists massacres in the Tigray War.[6][7][8][9]
After months of denial by the Ethiopian authorities that massacres occurred in Tigray, a joint investigation by OHCHR and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission was announced in March 2021. [10] In September 2021, in a preliminary briefing in relation to this investigation, UNHRC Chief Michelle Bachelet mentioned that gross violations of human rights, humanitarian and refugee law have been observed in Tigray.[11]
See also[edit]
- Murders and massacres in the Tigray War
- Timeline of the Tigray War – February 2021
- March 2021 Saharti-Samre massacres
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Annys, S., Vanden Bempt, T., Negash, E., De Sloover, L., Ghekiere, R., Haegeman, K., Temmerman, D., Nyssen, J., 2021. Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation, version 2.1. Ghent (Belgium): Ghent University, Department of Geography Archived 2021-10-13 at Archive.today
- ↑ Tasha Moens, Miro Jacob and Sil Lanckriet, 2019: Boswellia Incense in the Giba River Gorge
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Reuters, 25 February 2021: Hundreds of buildings burned around Tigray town, research group says
- ↑ Levene, Mark; Roberts, Penny (January 1, 1999). The Massacre in History. Berghahn Books. p. 90. ISBN 978-1-57181-934-5. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2021. Unknown parameter
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- ↑ Melson, Robert (July 1982). "Theoretical Inquiry into the Armenian Massacres of 1894–1896". Comparative Studies in Society and History. 24 (3): 482–3. doi:10.1017/s0010417500010100.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The World radio (2 April 2021): Counting the victims in TigrayArchived 2021-10-15 at Archive.today
- ↑ EuroNews, 2 April 2021 – See film embedded in the news item: G7 'seriously concerned' about human rights violations in Ethiopia's Tigray region Archived 2021-04-10 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ CBC, 2 April 2021: As It Happens: The Friday Edition (from 28:00 to 35:30) Tigray, Ethiopia Massacre Archived 2021-07-16 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ The Guardian, 2 April 2021: Ethiopia: 1,900 people killed in massacres in Tigray identified Archived 2021-08-14 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ France24, 18 March 2021: UN rights chief agrees to joint Tigray probe Archived 2021-04-22 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Republic World, 15 September 2021: 'Gross Violations' Of Human Rights Reported In Tigray, Atmosphere Of Fear Prevails: UN
External links[edit]
- World Peace Foundation: Starving Tigray
- Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation
- TGHAT: A compilation of the verified list of civilian victims from different sources
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