Silent No More: Rallying Against Sexual Violence in Ethiopia’s Tigray Conflict
Amidst the tumult of conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, a resounding cry reverberates: “Don’t betray the women of Tigray.” This impassioned plea echoes from the pens of influential figures worldwide, including former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and acclaimed Zimbabwean author Tsitsi Dangarembga, among others.
In a powerful display of solidarity, over 50 women of African descent demand an immediate cessation of hostilities, lamenting the harrowing reports of their sisters falling victim to violence and rape amid the chaos of war.
Simultaneously, another missive, bearing the weighty signatures of Clark, former UK Secretary for International Development Hilary Benn, and Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, alongside a coalition of over 60 advocates, implores the UN Security Council to establish a tribunal. This tribunal would meticulously probe the allegations of sexual violence in Tigray, seeking justice for the afflicted and accountability for the perpetrators.
“The failure of the international community to act,” the letter asserts, “would not only undermine progress in combatting sexual violence but also embolden those who wield it as a weapon of terror.” Such inaction, they warn, would constitute a profound betrayal of the courageous women of Tigray.
Since the eruption of conflict on November 4th, reports of atrocities perpetrated against women and girls have emerged, painting a grim picture of targeted assaults by Ethiopian forces and their Eritrean allies. These heinous acts, characterized by their deliberate nature and ethnically motivated brutality, stand as stark indictments of the ongoing crisis.
Yet, despite the clarity of these atrocities, justice remains elusive. “The silence is deafening,” the letters lament, highlighting the glaring absence of accountability for the perpetrators and the lack of recourse for the victims.
As the world commemorates the UN’s International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, activists mobilize, their voices amplified by hashtags and online forums. Among them, Danait Tafere, a conflict analyst and former resident of Tigray, voices frustration at the sluggish response, attributing it to systemic racism.
“We must champion our own cause,” Tafere asserts, underscoring the urgency of grassroots action in the face of indifference. “The time for waiting is over. Black women deserve better.”
In this battle for justice and dignity, the refrain is clear: Silence is complicity, and action is imperative.