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Congressional Record—Senate S1427 March 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1427 SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS placed in Ethiopia and approximately civilians committed by multiple parties to 2,000,000 people in the Tigray Region were al- the conflict; ready in need of humanitarian assistance; Whereas examples of reported atrocities SENATE RESOLUTION 97—CALLING Whereas the conflict in the Tigray Region committed in the Tigray Region include the ON THE GOVERNMENT OF ETHI- has prompted more than 61,000 Ethiopians to massacre in the town of Mai Kadra on No- OPIA, THE TIGRAY PEOPLE’S seek refuge in Sudan, has displaced as many vember 9, 2020, in which, according to esti- mates from the Ethiopian Human Rights LIBERATION FRONT, AND OTHER as 500,000 people internally, and has caused severe shortages of food, water, medical sup- Commission (EHRC), more than 600 civilians BELLIGERENTS TO CEASE ALL plies, and other necessary goods for those died from what the EHRC Chief Commis- HOSTILITIES, PROTECT HUMAN who remain in the region; sioner concluded was ‘‘for no reason other RIGHTS, ALLOW UNFETTERED Whereas the conflict has disrupted har- than their ethnicity,’’ and a mass killing in HUMANITARIAN ACCESS, AND vests, livelihoods, markets, and supply the city of Axum on November 28 through 29, COOPERATE WITH INDEPENDENT chains, food and medical supplies have been 2020, which involved, according to reports INVESTIGATIONS OF CREDIBLE looted, and restrictions and bureaucratic im- from Amnesty International, the systematic killing of ‘‘hundreds of unarmed civilians’’ ATROCITY ALLEGATIONS PER- pediments continue to constrain the humani- tarian response, with nearly 4,000,000 people after Ethiopian and Eritrean troops retook TAINING TO THE CONFLICT IN the city; THE TIGRAY REGION OF ETHI- in the Tigray Region estimated to require urgent food assistance, including 100,000 Eri- Whereas United Nations Special Represent- ative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Vi- OPIA trean refugees; olence in Conflict Pramila Patten has high- Mr. RISCH (for himself, Mr. CARDIN, Whereas, during the first few weeks of the lighted reports of sexual and gender-based vi- conflict, there was a complete shutdown of Mr. RUBIO, Mr. COONS, Mr. KAINE, Mr. olence, including a high number of alleged electricity, banking, internet, and telephone YOUNG, and Mr. VAN HOLLEN) sub- rapes in Mekelle; services throughout the Tigray Region by mitted the following resolution; which Whereas, on January 27, 2021, the United the Government of Ethiopia, with govern- was referred to the Committee on For- States Government publicly confirmed that ment reports of TPLF forces also destroying Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF) are partici- eign Relations: communications infrastructure, and subse- S. RES. 97 pating in the conflict in alliance with the quent service restorations have been limited; ENDF and called for the immediate with- Whereas the United States and the Federal Whereas, in addition to the shutdown of drawal of all EDF soldiers from the Tigray Democratic Republic of Ethiopia share an telephone and internet services, which has Region, and credible reports have emerged important relationship and more than a cen- severely limited the flow of information on that EDF soldiers participating in the con- tury of diplomatic relations; the conflict and the humanitarian situation, flict have attacked civilians, including Eri- Whereas Ethiopia is the second most popu- journalists have been restricted from access- trean refugees, and looted and destroyed lous country in Africa and plays a key role ing much of the Tigray Region, several jour- homes and religious institutions; in advancing security and stability across nalists have been arrested in connection to Whereas Ethiopia has been beset in recent sub-Saharan Africa, including as a top con- their coverage of the conflict, and one jour- years by multiple human rights and humani- tributor of uniformed personnel to United nalist working for the Tigray Mass Media tarian challenges, including targeted ethnic Nations peacekeeping missions; Agency was killed; violence, intercommunal conflict, natural Whereas tensions between Prime Minister Whereas, although the Government of disasters, and political unrest; Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party and the Ethiopia entered into an agreement with the Whereas, since mid-2020, the Office of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), United Nations on November 29, 2020, to fa- United Nations High Commissioner for which was part of the ruling coalition in cilitate humanitarian access to the Tigray Human Rights, Amnesty International, and Ethiopia until late 2019, escalated when the Region, that access remains limited; the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission TPLF held elections in the Tigray Region of Whereas, on February 1, 2021, the Secretary have reported atrocities and a rise in ethnic Ethiopia on September 9, 2020, despite the General of the Norwegian Refugee Council and intercommunal violence in other parts decision by the Federal Government of Ethi- stated, ‘‘Twelve weeks since the fighting of Ethiopia, including in the Amhara, opia to postpone general elections due to the began, the basic elements of a response on Benishangul-Gumuz, Somali, Afar, and COVID–19 pandemic; the scale needed are still not in place. It is Oromia regions; Whereas the TPLF rejected the postpone- false to say that aid is increasingly getting Whereas, according to international ment of general elections and considered the through. Aid has only gone to the places human rights organizations, during the con- extension of the term of the Federal Govern- with little conflict and more limited needs flict in the Tigray Region, ethnic Tigrayans ment to be unconstitutional, and the Federal and is not keeping pace with the humani- throughout Ethiopia have been suspended Government subsequently deemed the Tigray tarian crisis as it inevitably grows over from their jobs and prevented from leaving regional elections illegitimate; time.’’; the country, and there are reports of surveil- Whereas, in the early hours of November 4, Whereas, on February 6, 2021, the United lance and mass arrests of citizens of Ethiopia 2020, Prime Minister Abiy ordered a military Nations World Food Programme (WFP) an- based on their ethnicity; offensive in response to an attack by the nounced a new agreement with the Govern- Whereas Ethiopia is undergoing a fragile TPLF on the Northern Command of the ment of Ethiopia to rapidly scale up the de- democratic transition, with the postponed Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF), ployment of emergency food assistance while 2020 general elections rescheduled for June which evolved into an armed conflict be- improving the process for reviewing and ap- 2021, except in the Tigray Region, where tween the ENDF and allied forces on one side proving requests from United Nations and elections have not yet been scheduled; and the TPLF on the other side, with thou- humanitarian partner agencies; Whereas the Government of Ethiopia has sands of deaths reported; Whereas humanitarian access to the ref- restricted the right of several opposition po- Whereas the Government of Ethiopia re- ugee camps that were home to almost 100,000 litical parties to peacefully assemble, and a jected all offers, including one extended by Eritrean refugees at the start of the conflict number of opposition leaders have been African Union Chairman Cyril Ramaphosa in has been especially restricted, with the jailed since the summer of 2020, with varying November 2020, to mediate talks with the Hitsats and Shimelba camps still completely degrees of due process violations and proce- TPLF; inaccessible, and the United Nations Refugee dural delays in their trials; and Whereas, on November 28, 2020, the Govern- Agency estimates that 20,000 Eritrean refu- Whereas the conflict in the Tigray Region ment of Ethiopia claimed victory in the con- gees displaced from those camps remain un- occurs within the context of complicated re- flict after taking Mekelle, the capital city of accounted for; gional and global dynamics featuring ongo- the Tigray Region, with Prime Minister Abiy Whereas United Nations High Commis- ing negotiations between Ethiopia, Egypt, announcing that his forces had ‘‘completed sioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has ex- and Sudan over the Grand Ethiopian Renais- and ceased the military operations’’ and pressed alarm about the ‘‘overwhelming sance Dam, Ethiopia’s rapprochement with would shift focus to rebuilding the region number of disturbing reports of Eritrean ref- Eritrea, threats posed by the violent extrem- and providing humanitarian assistance while ugees in Tigray being killed, abducted and ist organization Al-Shabaab, a struggle for Federal police attempt to apprehend leaders forcibly returned to Eritrea’’; influence and power among regional and of the TPLF; Whereas, in November 2020, four humani- global actors, increasingly hostile border Whereas clashes have continued in the tarian workers, including one employee of disputes between Ethiopia and Sudan, and Tigray Region and Ethiopian soldiers and al- the International Rescue Committee and the fragile democratic transition and peace lied forces have pursued prominent TPLF three employees of the Danish Refugee Coun- process in Sudan: Now, therefore, be it leaders, notably killing former Minister of cil, were killed at Hitsats refugee camp; Resolved, That the Senate— Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia Seyoum Mesfin Whereas challenges to access have signifi- (1) strongly disapproves of the escalation as part of a ‘‘stabilizing mission . to
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