Tigray Conflict: UN-Documented War Crimes and Mass Displacement

Last updated: 5 October 2026

Photo: Tigray - Rod Waddington

Ethiopia Tigray war crimes have been documented by multiple authoritative international bodies. Between November 2020 and the Pretoria Agreement of November 2022, federal Ethiopian forces, Eritrean forces, Amhara regional special forces, and Tigrayan armed groups committed serious violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. The OHCHR-EHRC Joint Investigation (November 2021) found reasonable grounds to believe that all parties committed war crimes. Furthermore, the UN International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE) operating from December 2021 to October 2023 reached similar findings. This article sets out what UN and partner bodies have documented, who is most affected, and how the documentation supports asylum claims in 2026.[1]

For wider context, see the Ethiopia human rights report. For broader Ethiopian asylum guidance, see the asylum guide.

What UN Bodies Documented

The Tigray war began on 4 November 2020 when federal forces, Eritrean troops, and Amhara regional forces entered Tigray. Subsequently, the conflict spread into Afar and Amhara regions during 2021. The Pretoria Cessation of Hostilities Agreement of 2 November 2022 ended formal hostilities. However, sexual violence, displacement, and the use of starvation as a method of warfare had already produced civilian harm of historic scale. Multiple authoritative bodies have documented the violations.[2]

The OHCHR-EHRC Joint Investigation (November 2021)

The Joint Investigation between the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission was published on 3 November 2021. The report found reasonable grounds to believe that all parties to the conflict committed serious violations. These included: extrajudicial executions; torture; rape and other sexual violence; arbitrary detention; forced displacement; pillage; and attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. Furthermore, the report identified specific incidents — Mai Kadra (November 2020), Aksum (November 2020), Bora Selewa, and others.

The ICHREE (December 2021 — October 2023)

The UN Human Rights Council established the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia in December 2021 by Resolution A/HRC/RES/S-33/1. ICHREE was mandated to conduct independent investigations into Tigray war violations. Its September 2022 and final October 2023 reports documented additional patterns: ethnic cleansing in Western Tigray, the destruction of healthcare and education infrastructure, and the use of denial of humanitarian access as a method of warfare. The Ethiopian government refused to renew ICHREE's mandate; it ended in October 2023.

Violations by Each Party

The OHCHR-EHRC and ICHREE reports attributed specific patterns to each party.[3]

The Scale of Sexual Violence

Sexual violence in the Tigray war was extensive, systematic, and used as a weapon. The OHCHR-EHRC report documented thousands of cases. Subsequent reporting by Amnesty International, HRW, and academic researchers in BMJ Global Health estimated tens of thousands of victims. Furthermore, conflict-related sexual violence affected women of all ages, men, and children. ENDF and EDF forces were primary perpetrators, with Amhara regional forces also implicated.[4]

Ethnic targeting in sexual violence

Reports identified ethnic Tigrayan women as systematic targets. Statements from perpetrators recorded in survivor testimonies frequently invoked ethnic hatred. The pattern is consistent with the use of sexual violence as a method of ethnic cleansing or persecution. As a result, Tigrayan women survivors form a distinct asylum profile with strong PSG claims.

Sexual violence has been one of the most horrifying features of the Tigray conflict, affecting women, girls, men and boys, and was committed in many cases by Eritrean and Ethiopian forces in concert.
UN International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia, Final Report (October 2023)

Ethnic Cleansing in Western Tigray

Western Tigray (Welkait, Tsegede, Humera) was occupied by Amhara regional forces and Fano militias early in the conflict. The area is contested as historically Amhara or Tigrayan; both communities have lived there. ICHREE and HRW documented systematic expulsion of Tigrayan civilians from Western Tigray during 2021. Tens of thousands of ethnic Tigrayans were forcibly displaced. Property was seized; identification documents were confiscated; people were forced across the Tekeze river toward central Tigray.[5]

Western Tigray remains under Amhara administration as of 2026. The Pretoria Agreement did not resolve the territorial dispute. Therefore, ethnic Tigrayans displaced from Western Tigray cannot return safely. They constitute a distinct displacement and asylum population.

Famine as a Weapon

The federal government imposed a humanitarian blockade on Tigray during much of the conflict. Limited humanitarian convoys were permitted; many were obstructed at checkpoints. UN agencies reported severe food insecurity and famine conditions in parts of Tigray during 2021-2022. The use of starvation as a method of warfare is prohibited under the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute (Article 8(2)(b)(xxv)). Furthermore, ICHREE found that the conduct met the threshold for the war crime.[6]

Post-Pretoria Situation

The Pretoria Cessation of Hostilities Agreement ended formal hostilities. However, several issues remain unresolved in 2026.[7]

• Eritrean forces: Continue to operate in some Tigrayan border areas despite Pretoria's withdrawal provisions.
• Western Tigray: Remains under Amhara administration; Tigrayan IDPs cannot return.
• Accountability: No independent international mechanism since October 2023.
• Reconstruction: Healthcare and education infrastructure damaged in war remain partially destroyed.
• Internal Tigray politics: Tensions between the post-Pretoria interim administration and historical TPLF leadership have produced further displacement in 2024-2025.

Asylum Implications

UN-documented Ethiopia Tigray war crimes provide strong evidence in asylum cases for several risk profiles. Therefore, Tigrayan asylum claimants whose profile fits one of the patterns below typically have a strong claim.[8]

• Ethnic Tigrayan civilians from Western Tigray: Cannot return; ongoing displacement; PSG/race grounds.
• Tigrayan sexual violence survivors: PSG (Tigrayan women); medical evidence supports claim.
• Former TPLF or TDF members: Political opinion; nationality (ethnicity).
• Tigrayan civilians from areas where Eritrean forces remain: Continuing risk.
• Tigrayan healthcare workers: Documented targeting during the war; surviving witnesses face continuing risk.
• Tigrayan diaspora activists: Sur place claims; surveillance documented.

Conclusion

Ethiopia Tigray war crimes have been authoritatively documented by UN and partner bodies. The OHCHR-EHRC Joint Investigation, ICHREE reports, and continuing monitoring by HRW and Amnesty provide a solid evidential foundation for asylum claims by Tigrayan claimants. However, the accountability vacuum since October 2023 means no current UN-mandated investigation operates. Therefore, expert evidence updating the post-Pretoria picture is essential for live cases. To commission an Ethiopia expert report, use the find expert witness service. For the broader Ethiopia analysis, see the country reports section.