November 4, 2025
Marking the fifth anniversary of the war on Tigray and the third anniversary of the Pretoria Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, Tigrayan civil society organizations, victims’ groups, legal experts, and diaspora representatives have announced the establishment of the Tigray Accountability Coalition (TAC) and the adoption of a Common Tigray Position (CTP) on justice and accountability for atrocity crimes.
The declaration—adopted after extensive consultations with survivors, human rights defenders, and diaspora communities—calls for the creation of an independent international accountability mechanism to investigate and prosecute atrocity crimes committed during the 2020–2022 war in northern Ethiopia.
“Without credible international accountability, victims of atrocities risk becoming orphaned from justice,” the statement warns. “The international community’s failure to act decisively reinforces impunity and sets a dangerous precedent for future violence.”
A Unified Framework for Justice
The Common Tigray Position outlines a comprehensive framework for justice, truth, reparations, and non-recurrence. It emphasizes victim-centered approaches, truth-seeking, and the right to remedies under international law. The newly formed TAC is tasked with coordinating advocacy, evidence documentation, survivor support, and engagement with the UN, AU, ICC, and other human rights bodies.
Key objectives include:
Defining a unified Tigrayan framework for pursuing justice and accountability.
Coordinating all stakeholders and partners in justice efforts.
Advocating for independent investigations and international prosecutions.
Ensuring victims’ voices guide every stage of the process.
Building sustainable constituencies for justice in Tigray and abroad.
Condemnation of Failed Justice Mechanisms
The statement sharply criticizes the termination of the UN International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE) and the African Commission of Inquiry on Tigray, calling the moves “a serious setback that abandoned victims and rewarded impunity.” It rejects Ethiopia’s ongoing transitional justice and national dialogue processes as “deeply flawed, exclusionary, and politically compromised.”
The coalition insists that any engagement with external actors—including the Ethiopian federal government or implicated regional forces—must adhere to strict principles of transparency, victim participation, and international human rights standards.
Calls to the United Nations and African Union
The TAC urges the United Nations, African Union, and international partners to:
Establish a credible, independent investigative mechanism;
Reject politically motivated transitional justice processes;
Support comprehensive reparations for victims;
Guarantee institutional reforms to prevent future atrocities.
The statement underscores that sustainable peace in Tigray and the Horn of Africa cannot be achieved without justice. “Reconciliation cannot be imposed without truth-telling and accountability,” it declares.
Building a Constituency for Justice
The TAC will serve as a permanent, inclusive platform to coordinate justice initiatives, build institutional capacity within Tigray, and engage the global community. Its structure includes representation from victim groups, legal practitioners, civil society, diaspora communities, and traditional leaders. The coalition plans quarterly reviews, annual assemblies, and regular public reporting to maintain transparency and accountability.
A Call to Conscience
In its closing statement, the Common Tigray Position appeals to “all people of conscience, governments, international organizations, and civil society globally” to stand with Tigray’s victims in their pursuit of truth and justice.
“The struggle for accountability will continue until all victims and survivors receive justice, reparations, and guarantees of non-recurrence,” the document concludes.
———————
Full press release by Tigray Accountability Coalition – English version.
Full press release – Tigrigna version.
Press conference by Tigray Accountability Coalition members.
