Amnesty International documented that 70 women have reported being raped by TPLF forces in Nefas Mewcha. According to Amnesty International’s report on November 9, 2021, these women were victimized between August 12 and 21, 2021, when the TPLF took control of Nefas Mewcha, a town in the South Gondar zone of the Amhara region.
Amnesty International conducted interviews with 16 survivors who stated that they were “raped at gunpoint, robbed, and subjected to physical and verbal assaults.” Fourteen of them disclosed that they had been gang-raped. The report also includes accounts of the horrifying experiences of women who were raped in front of their children, as well as one woman who became pregnant as a result of the rape.
The women further informed Amnesty International that the fighters dehumanized them, used ethnic slurs, and seized all available food items. Most of the survivors happened to be poor women who earned meager incomes through street vending, sex work, or small businesses. Many of the survivors are experiencing physical and mental health issues such as back pain, blood in urine, difficulty walking, anxiety, and depression.
According to the report, the Tigray forces also looted and destroyed medical facilities. Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, stated, “The testimonies we heard from survivors describe despicable acts by TPLF fighters that amount to war crimes, and potentially crimes against humanity. They defy morality or any iota of humanity.”
For the full report, click here.
Source:
