ADDIS ABABA— The UN Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia is in the country’s capital, Addis Ababa, for the first work visit since its establishment in December last year.

The commission is an independent entity mandated to conduct investigations to establish the facts and the circumstances surrounding alleged violations and abuses committed by all parties during Ethiopia’s current conflict which has been going on since November 2020.

The Ethiopian government had initially rejected the resolution calling it an alternative way to meddle in its internal affairs and had announced it will not acknowledge or cooperate with any mechanism.

But it seems relations have since softened, after the commission announced last month it has initiated the process of dialogue with the government.

There are hopes that the consultations in Addis Ababa will result in access for the investigators to sites of alleged violations, as well as access to survivors, victims and witnesses.

But it is not clear when or if that will happen.

The Tigrayan forces have welcomed the visit but say any unilateral agreement with the Ethiopian government that does not take into account the people of Tigray constitutes reasonable grounds for it withholding cooperation with the commission.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK