February 2021 Saharti-Samre massacres

February 2021 Saharti-Samre massacres
	Part of Tigray War
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Target	Tigrayans
Attack type	Mass killing; Shelling; Ethnic cleansing;
Deaths	385-505 civilians
Perpetrators	Ethiopian National Defence Force ; Eritrean Defence Forces

Coordinates: 13°15′40″N 39°09′38″E / 13.26101°N 39.16043°E / 13.26101; 39.16043

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The February 2021 Saharti-Samre massacres were mass extrajudicial killings that took place in Saharti Samre (Tigrinya: ሠሓርቲ ሳምረ) in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia during the Tigray War, on 10–25 February 2021.^[1] Saharti and Samre are two woredas (districts) in the Southeastern zone of Tigray.

Massacre[edit]

The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) and Eritrean Defence Forces (EDF) killed hundreds of civilians in Saharti and Samre (Southeastern Tigray) on 10–25 February 2021.^[1]

There are a lot of people who died but their bodies were eaten by hyenas... after a week we found only bits of clothing. We identified them by the clothes they were wearing — Letemeskel, inhabitant of May Weini, Sky News, 17 March 2021^[2]

In line with historical studies of massacres, including those committed during the Armenian genocide,^[3]^[4] 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.^[5] In Saharti and Samre, terrible battles had taken place all over, most of the houses had been destroyed and food supplies for humans and animals had been torched.^[2]

Use of cluster bombs[edit]

On 25 February 2021, The New York Times journalist Christiaan Triebert revealed that the Ethiopian Air Force bombings of Samre earlier that month are evidenced by multiple photos of the tails of Soviet-era cluster bombs, likely RBK-250.^[6] Bomb dimensions are 2.3 m length by 0.4 m across. Each bomblet is 33 cm long, weights 2.8 kg and carries 500 g of explosives.^[7] The use of cluster bombs amounts to war crime.^[8]^[9]^[10] Ethiopia is not a signatory to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.^[11]

Perpetrators[edit]

Witnesses reported the perpetrators of this massacre as being Eritrean and Ethiopian soldiers.^[2]

Victims[edit]

Multiple reports were made of extrajudicial and summary executions of civilians 10–25 February 2021 during the Tigray War in Saharti and Samre.^[2]^[1]^[12]

Executions of civilians in the Tigray War in Saharti and Samre (10-25 February 2021)
Date	Place	Number	Perpetrators	Sources	Notes
10 Feb	Adi Awso, Samre woreda	5		^[1]
13 Feb	Addi Esher, near Gijet	20	EDF & ENDF	^[12]
15 Feb	Cheli	180	EDF	^[2]^[13]
c. 19 Feb	Khisret, Gijet	100+	ENDF	^[14]
23 Feb	May Weyni, near Gijet	80	EDF & ENDF	^[2]
25 Feb	Gijet	120	ENDF and possibly EDF	^[2]^[15]	Gijet being the district capital, this number could be redundant with earlier tallies in the district.

Partial list of victim names[edit]

The “Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation” mentions 385-505 victims of these massacres,^[1] 42 of whom have been identified have been identified:^[12]

Addi Esher[edit]

Abadi Berhanu
Adhanom Gebreegziabher
Alemayne Abebe
Atsifey Kidanemariam
Dimtsu Gerase
Gebre'ab Berhanu
Gebreezgiabher Weldetensay
Gebrehiwot Siltan
Gebrehiwot Teklemedhin
Gebrekiros Baikema
Gebrekiros Gebrehiwot
Goite'om Gebremikael
Hailu Menasbo
Kahsay Kiflu
Kidey Ye'ebyo
Siltan Hailu
Solomon Hailu
Tesfay Adane
Tesfi'an Negese
An unnamed Orthodox Christian monk

May Weyni[edit]

Girmay Teklezgi
Mebrahtu Mehari (32)
Woldehiwot Tareqe (18)
Berhane Girmay Seyoum (37)
Gebremedhin Tekay

Cheli[edit]

Adugna Gebrekiros
Atakilti Kahsay
Bariagabir Alemayo
Desalegn Gebretsion
Fitaw Mamu
Gebremedhin Abadi
Hailemariam Gebrehiwet
Lijalem Hailemariam
Mebrahtu Birhanu
Priest Desta
Tadele Gebrehiwet (with his brother)
Tsegay Gebreyohannes
Tsegay Kelelew
Weldegebriel Gebru
Weldeselassie Hagos
Weldu Bilwo
Welduhitsan Tadesse

Reactions[edit]

Sky News which reported on these massacres: “If the truth is not revealed, thousands more will lose their lives.” ^[2]

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.^[5]^[16]^[17]^[18]

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.^[19]

While the Ethiopian government promised that Eritrean troops will be pulled out from Tigray, the Eritrean government denies any participation in warfare in Tigray, let alone in massacres.^[20]

References[edit]

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 ^1.5 Annys, S., Vanden Bempt, T., Negash, E., De Sloover, L., Nyssen, J., 2021. Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 ^2.5 ^2.6 ^2.7 Sparks, John (2021-03-17). "Ethiopia: Hundreds executed, thousands homeless - the human cost of fighting in Tigray". Sky News. Archived from the original on 2021-03-17. Retrieved 2021-07-15. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
↑ 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 May 10, 2016. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help) Search this book on
↑ 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.
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 The World radio (2 April 2021): Counting the victims in Tigray
↑ Nyssen, J., 2021: Cluster bombing on Tigray by the Ethiopian army - more than 500 homesteads destroyed in Gijet.
↑ The New York Times, 21 December 2012: Cluster bombs in Syria
↑ [Hulme, K., 2004. Of Questionable Legality: The Military Use of Cluster Bombs in Iraq in 2003. Can. YB International Law, 42, 143]
↑ [McDonnell, T.M., 2002. Cluster Bombs Over Kosovo: A Violation of International Law. Ariz. Law Rev., 44, 31]
↑ [Wiebe, V., 2000. Footprints of death: cluster bombs as indiscriminate weapons under international humanitarian law. Mich. J. International Law, 22, 85]
↑ "Cluster Munition Coalition – Take Action – CMC". www.stopclustermunitions.org. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
↑ ^12.0 ^12.1 ^12.2 TGHAT, A compilation of the verified list of civilian victims from different sources
↑ 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
↑ "Situation Report EEPA HORN No. 90 – 23 February 2021" (PDF). Europe External Programme with Africa. 2021-02-23. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-02-23. Retrieved 2021-07-15. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
↑ Reuters, 25 February 2021: Hundreds of buildings burned around Tigray town, research group says
↑ EuroNews, 2 April 2021 – See film embedded in the news item: G7 'seriously concerned' about human rights violations in Ethiopia's Tigray region
↑ CBC, 2 April 2021: As It Happens: The Friday Edition (from 28:00 to 35:30) Tigray, Ethiopia Massacre
↑ The Guardian, 2 April 2021: Ethiopia: 1,900 people killed in massacres in Tigray identified
↑ France24, 18 March 2021: UN rights chief agrees to joint Tigray probe
↑ DW, 19 March 2021: Fact check: Are other nations involved in the war in Tigray?

External links[edit]

Twitter: author @tvbempt; hashtags #NeverForget #SayTheirNames #Cheli or #AdiEsher or #MayWeyni
Cluster Munition Coalition
Cluster munitions and international humanitarian law International Committee of the Red Cross
Convention on Cluster Munitions – Official website serving the government initiative to ban cluster munitions
Interactive map of cluster bomb producers, stockpilers, users and affected countries
Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation
TGHAT: A compilation of the verified list of civilian victims from different sources
World Peace Foundation: Starving Tigray

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[atlas-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 ^1.5 Annys, S., Vanden Bempt, T., Negash, E., De Sloover, L., Nyssen, J., 2021. Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation

[SkyNews_Mayweini_Cheli-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 ^2.5 ^2.6 ^2.7 Sparks, John (2021-03-17). "Ethiopia: Hundreds executed, thousands homeless - the human cost of fighting in Tigray". Sky News. Archived from the original on 2021-03-17. Retrieved 2021-07-15. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)

[3] 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 May 10, 2016. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help) Search this book on

[4] 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.

[world-5] 5.0 ^5.1 The World radio (2 April 2021): Counting the victims in Tigray

[6] Nyssen, J., 2021: Cluster bombing on Tigray by the Ethiopian army - more than 500 homesteads destroyed in Gijet.

[7] The New York Times, 21 December 2012: Cluster bombs in Syria

[8] [Hulme, K., 2004. Of Questionable Legality: The Military Use of Cluster Bombs in Iraq in 2003. Can. YB International Law, 42, 143]

[9] [McDonnell, T.M., 2002. Cluster Bombs Over Kosovo: A Violation of International Law. Ariz. Law Rev., 44, 31]

[10] [Wiebe, V., 2000. Footprints of death: cluster bombs as indiscriminate weapons under international humanitarian law. Mich. J. International Law, 22, 85]

[11] "Cluster Munition Coalition – Take Action – CMC". www.stopclustermunitions.org. Retrieved 20 October 2021.

[tghat-12] 12.0 ^12.1 ^12.2 TGHAT, A compilation of the verified list of civilian victims from different sources

[atlas21-13] 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

[EEPA_No90_23Feb2021-14] "Situation Report EEPA HORN No. 90 – 23 February 2021" (PDF). Europe External Programme with Africa. 2021-02-23. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-02-23. Retrieved 2021-07-15. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)

[reuters20210225-15] Reuters, 25 February 2021: Hundreds of buildings burned around Tigray town, research group says

[16] EuroNews, 2 April 2021 – See film embedded in the news item: G7 'seriously concerned' about human rights violations in Ethiopia's Tigray region

[17] CBC, 2 April 2021: As It Happens: The Friday Edition (from 28:00 to 35:30) Tigray, Ethiopia Massacre

[18] The Guardian, 2 April 2021: Ethiopia: 1,900 people killed in massacres in Tigray identified

[19] France24, 18 March 2021: UN rights chief agrees to joint Tigray probe

[20] DW, 19 March 2021: Fact check: Are other nations involved in the war in Tigray?

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