Dedebit Elementary School airstrike
Part of the Tigray War
Aftermath of an airstrike on Dedebit Elementary School
Dedebit is located in Tigray Region
Dedebit
Dedebit
Location of Dedebit in Tigray Region, Ethiopia
Dedebit is located in Ethiopia
Dedebit
Dedebit
Dedebit (Ethiopia)
LocationDedebit, North Western Zone, Tigray Region, Ethiopia
Coordinates14°04′24″N 37°45′52″E / 14.07344°N 37.76440°E / 14.07344; 37.76440
Date7–8 January 2022
~23:00–00:00 (UTC+3)
Attack type
WeaponMAM-Ls from a Baykar Bayraktar TB2
Deaths56–59
Injured30–126+
Perpetrators Ethiopian Air Force

On 7 January 2022 (Ethiopian Christmas), the Ethiopian Air Force carried out an airstrike on a camp for internally displaced people (IDPs) set up in Dedebit Elementary School, located in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia.[1][2][3] According to aid workers and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), between 56 and 59 people were killed and at least 30 others were injured.[1][4][5] Investigators described the airstrike as a war crime, and particularly as an intentional and disproportionate violation of the law regarding the safety of civilians.[6][7]

Background

Tigray War

The Tigray War began in early November 2020, with the Ethiopian federal government, Eritrea and the Amhara Region on one side, and the TPLF on the other.[8]

Following a failed attempt to advance on Addis Ababa, the TPLF withdrew their forces from the Amhara and Afar Regions on 20 December 2021.[9][10] The 7 January airstrike took place during a roughly three-month period between the withdrawal of TPLF troops in December, and the beginning of a ceasefire on 24 March 2022.[11]

Peace process

In response to the Tigrayan withdrawal, the federal government made reassurances that the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) would not advance further into Tigray than they already had, as, according to Government Communication Service minister Legesse Tulu, "the [TPLF]’s desire and ability [to engage in war] is severely destroyed."[12]

On 7 January, before the airstrike occurred, Ethiopia released a number of political prisoners, some of them being from the TPLF, including co-founder Sebhat Nega and former Tigray Region president Abay Weldu.[13][14] The Ethiopian government publicly expressed a desire for peace, with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stating he was looking for an "all-inclusive national dialogue",[15] and that "One of the moral obligations of a victor is mercy."[3]

Mass displacement

In the aftermath of the Mai Kadra massacre, Tigrayan civilians became the target of systemic, coordinated reprisals by Ethiopian, Amhara and Eritrean forces.[16][17] By the end of November 2020, Amhara regional forces took control of Tigray's Western Zone,[18] and proceeded to commit human rights violations against the civilian population, including the forced expulsion of roughly 1.2 million people from the area by December 2021.[19]

Dedebit before the airstrike

The IDP camp in Dedebit was established in November 2021;[20] by the end of the month, 3,463 displaced persons were officially recorded to be staying at the town. On 15 December, around 29,000 IDPs from the Western Zone went to North Western Tigray, of which 4,000 had arrived to Dedebit.[21][6] According to air workers, many of the IDPs in the camp were women and children.[1] In the days immediately before the airstrike, some camp residents noticed that a drone was circling around the town.[22]

Airstrike

Map of Dedebit Elementary School. The airstrikes are numbered in the order they were launched.[lower-alpha 1]

Between 7–14 January, the Ethiopian Air Force (ETAF) launched a campaign of airstrikes and bombardments on Tigrayan settlements, which left at least 108 people dead and 75 injured overall.[23] The deadliest of these airstrikes[24] was launched at the makeshift IDP camp at Dedebit Elementary School on 7 January; it happened late at night, at some point between 11:00pm–12:00am (EAT).[1][25][26]

An armed drone fired three laser-guided bombs[27] at the camp: the first strike was launched at the main school building, creating a hole in the roof and killing most within the blast range; the second one was fired at the main gate out of the school compound, killing even more people as they were attempting to escape; a third bomb was dropped northeast of where the first one was dropped. This third bombing was not reported to have caused casualties.[28] One survivor recalled being woken up suddenly by the sounds of the airstrike, at first believing that "fighting had broken out in the camp". Upon seeing the dismembered bodies of those hit by the bombs, he "realized this wasn't fighting."[6]

Overall, the airstrike killed between 56–59 people. At least 30–46 others were injured,[1][4][6] but a Mekelle hospital official claimed this number may have been as high as 126.[29][30] At least 53 people were killed immediately by the bombs, 15 of them children (the youngest being a one year-old baby); all were former residents of Humera, Western Tigray. Three others who initially survived the attack later died of their injuries at Shire Suhul General Hospital. One survivor stated that the airstrike had killed three families. Survivors and aid workers noted it was difficult to establish the exact number of people killed, as the bombs had caused some to be "burned to ash" or dismembered,[6] with one saying that "bodies were fragmented like leaves".[31]

Investigations

Bayraktar TB2 loaded with MAM-L munitions, similar to the one used in the airstrike.

Investigators from both Human Rights Watch and the United Nations found no evidence of Dedebit being used for military purposes, and survivors of the attack "unanimous[ly]" told investigators that they had not seen soldiers or military equipment near the camp.[6][32] The drone used by the ETAF may have been bought from Turkey, as the one used in the attack was a Baykar Bayraktar TB2 that used MAM-L bombs.[33][34][35] The ENDF was – at the time the airstrike had occurred – the only military force in the war that was using armed drones.[4][27]

On 24 March 2022, Human Rights Watch requested the Ethiopian government to investigate the airstrike, describing it as a "likely" war crime.[6] UN investigators from the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE) came to a similar conclusion in September 2022, stating that they had "reasonable grounds to believe that the ETAF committed war crimes," among them being the airstrike on Dedebit.[36][37] The ICHREE made note of the "surgical nature" of MAM-L munitions (which allowed those operating the drones "real-time surveillance" of who and what they were targeting), as well as the locations of where the first and second bombs were launched. The commission stated that the Ethiopian military had "violated the principles of precaution and proportionality" and "intentionally directed an attack against civilians".[7]

Aftermath

Surviving camp residents spent the rest of the night in fields outside the school grounds.[31] Footage of the airstrike's aftermath was recorded in videos by Tigrai TV, a TPLF-affiliated media outlet.[38] A priest is seen sprinkling holy water on the dead, while survivors audibly mourn over them.[4] Those killed by the attacks were later buried in a mass grave near the town.[6][31]

Due to security concerns created by the airstrike, humanitarian aid agencies suspended their operations in the area surrounding the town on 9 January 2022.[39][40] For similar reasons, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated in 20 January that 5,000 IDPs from Dedebit were relocated to Selekleka.[41]

Reactions

TPLF spokesperson Getachew Reda condemned the strike, calling it "Another callous drone attack by Abiy Ahmed",[1] and expressed skepticism towards the prime minister's calls for peace.[24] On 9 January, the Tigray External Affairs Office released a statement condemning the airstrike, saying that it "encapsulates the Abiy regime's disdain for international law", and called on the international community to hold federal-allied forces accountable for their actions.[42][43]

In the aftermath of the 7–14 January airstrike campaign, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was "heartbroken by the suffering of the Ethiopian people," and urged for a ceasefire. OHCHR spokesperson Liz Throssell also condemned the campaign, and drew particular attention to the bombing of Dedebit. She further stated that "Failure to respect the principles of distinction and proportionality could amount to war crimes".[44] EU High Representative Josep Borrell was critical of the strike, saying that, while the release of political prisoners was a positive development, "All parties must seize the moment to swiftly end the conflict and enter into dialogue."[45] the United States Bureau of African Affairs also condemned the bombings, calling them "unacceptable", and urged for both a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian aid into affected areas of the country.[29]

The Turkish government did not comment on the airstrike, and did not response to requests from journalists to speak about it.[4][44] The Ethiopian government has also said very little about the attacks. In a statement to the BBC on 30 January 2022, Legesse Tulu acknowledged that Ethiopia was using armed drones, but would "not say where" they were obtained, and claimed that they were not targeting civilians with drone strikes.[33]

See also

Similar international events:

Notes

  1. ↑ Legend:
      School buildings
      Tents
      Airstrikes
      Trees
      Other buildings
      Road

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Aid workers say Ethiopia air strike in northwest Tigray killed 56 people". Reuters. 10 January 2022. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022.
  2. ↑ "Dozens killed in Ethiopian air strike on IDP camp in Tigray". Al Jazeera. 8 January 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  3. 1 2 Phillips, Alexa (8 January 2022). "Ethiopia: At least 56 killed in Tigray airstrike on camp for internally displaced, aid workers say". Sky News.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Bearak, Max; Kelly, Meg; Lee, Joyce Sohyun (7 February 2022). "How Ethiopia used a Turkish drone in a strike that killed nearly 60 civilians". The Washington Post. With a flash in the dark, the building and the grounds around it were struck by drone-delivered bombs, killing at least 59 people and gravely injuring dozens more…
  5. ↑ "More than 50 killed in northern Ethiopia air strike -aid workers and Tigray forces". Reuters. 5 October 2022. Archived from the original on 15 August 2023. The deadliest previous air strike of the war occurred in January, when 59 people were killed at a displaced persons camp in the northwestern town of Dedebit...
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Ethiopia: Airstrike on Camp for Displaced Likely War Crime". Human Rights Watch. 24 March 2022. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023.
  7. 1 2 ICHREE 2022, p. 14, para. 94.
  8. ↑ "UN: Warring sides committing atrocities in Ethiopia's Tigray". Al Jazeera. 19 September 2022. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022.
  9. ↑ "Tigrayan forces announce retreat to Ethiopia's Tigray region". Al Jazeera. 20 December 2021. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2022. 'We decided to withdraw from these areas to Tigray. We want to open the door to humanitarian aid,' Getachew said.
  10. ↑ "Tigray forces withdraw from neighbouring Ethiopian regions -spokesman". Reuters. 20 December 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  11. ↑ Tadesse, Fasika; Marks, Simon (24 March 2022). "Ethiopia Declares Unilateral Truce in War-Ravaged Tigray". Bloomberg News.
  12. ↑ "Ethiopia says its army will not advance further into Tigray". AP News. 23 December 2021.
  13. ↑ Dawit Endeshaw (8 January 2022). "Ethiopia frees opposition leaders from prison, announces political dialogue". Reuters.
  14. ↑ Gelmo Dawit (8 January 2022). "Airstrike in Ethiopia's Tigray Reportedly Kills 56 People". Voice of America.
  15. ↑ "Ethiopia announces amnesty for prominent opposition figures". France 24. 7 January 2022.
  16. ↑ "'We will erase you from this land': Crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing in Ethiopia's Western Tigray Zone". Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. AFR 25/5444/2022. 6 April 2022. ISBN 9781623139759. Archived from the original on 11 August 2023.
  17. ↑ Houreld, Katherine; Georgy, Michael; Aloisi, Silvia (7 June 2021). "How ethnic killings exploded from an Ethiopian town". Reuters. Archived from the original on 27 August 2023.
  18. ↑ Kirby, Jen (24 April 2021). ""Dying by blood or by hunger": The war in Ethiopia's Tigray region, explained". Vox. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022.
  19. ↑ "Ethiopia - Northern Ethiopia Humanitarian Update Situation Report, 2 Dec 2021". Reliefweb. OCHA. 2 December 2021.
  20. ↑ ICHREE 2022, pp. 7–8, para. 46.
  21. ↑ "Ethiopia Emergency Situation Regional Update #26 - 15 December 2021". Operational Data Portal. UNHCR. 23 December 2021.
  22. ↑ ICHREE 2022, p. 8, para. 47.
  23. ↑ "Ethiopia wants WHO to investigate Tedros over Tigray remarks". Deutsche Welle. 14 January 2022. Archived from the original on 14 January 2022.
  24. 1 2 York, Geoffrey (14 January 2022). "Ethiopian air strikes kill 108 civilians in Tigray region, UN says". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022.
  25. ↑ ICHREE 2022, p. 8, para. 48.
  26. ↑ Griffith, Emily (10 January 2022). "Dozens killed in airstrike on camp for displaced people in Tigray, Ethiopia". Action on Armed Violence.
  27. 1 2 ICHREE 2022, p. 8, para. 53.
  28. ↑ ICHREE 2022, p. 8, para. 48–50.
  29. 1 2 Willmer, Tanya (9 January 2022). "Aid Agencies Suspend Work In Tigray Area Hit By Deadly Strike: UN". Barron's. AFP. Archived from the original on 12 November 2023.
  30. ↑ "Aid agencies suspend work in part of Tigray after airstrike". DW. AFP. Reuters. 10 January 2022.
  31. 1 2 3 ICHREE 2022, p. 8, para. 51.
  32. ↑ ICHREE 2022, p. 8, para. 52, 54.
  33. 1 2 "Tigray conflict: What do we know about drone strikes in Ethiopia?". BBC News. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  34. ↑ "Evidence from civilian bombing in Ethiopia points to Turkish drone". POLITICO. 25 January 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  35. ↑ "Turkish Drones Join Ethiopia's war, Satellite Imagery Confirms". PAX. 11 January 2022.
  36. ↑ "International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia United Nations Human Rights Council -51st Session". OHCHR. 22 September 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  37. ↑ ICHREE 2022, p. 8, para. 54.
  38. ↑ "Ethiopia: footage of drone deadly strike emerges". Africanews; AFP. 10 January 2022. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023.
  39. ↑ "Aid agencies suspend work in part of Tigray after airstrike". DW. AFP, Reuters. 10 January 2022.
  40. ↑ "Aid groups halt work in northwest Tigray after deadly strike: UN". Al Jazeera English. 9 January 2022.
  41. ↑ "Ethiopia - Northern Ethiopia Humanitarian Update Situation Report, 20 January 2022". Reliefweb. OCHA. 20 January 2022.
  42. ↑ Tigray External Affairs Office [@TigrayEAO] (9 January 2022). "Press Statement on Airstrikes on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Camp. #Tigray January 9, 2022" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 30 August 2022 – via Twitter. TEAO-054/2021
  43. ↑ Sarah Fsehaye (10 January 2022). "ክልል ትግራይ: ሕ/ሃ ሓገዝ ወሃብቲ ትካላት ብሰንኪ ደብዳብ ምንቅስቓሳቶም ከቋርጹ ከምዝተገደዱ ይገልጽ" [Tigray Region: UN says aid agencies have been forced to suspend operations due to bombing]. VOA (in Tigrinya).
  44. 1 2 Farge, Emma (14 January 2022). Maclean, William; Lewis, Matthew (eds.). "UN rights office decries Ethiopia air strikes, says 108 killed this month". Reuters. Additional reporting by Dawit Endeshaw, George Obulutsa and Michelle Nichols. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023.
  45. ↑ "Ethiopia: Statement by High Representative Josep Borrell on the latest developments". European External Action Service. 8 January 2022. Archived from the original on 3 April 2022.

Bibliography

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