May Atsmi massacres

The May Atsmi massacre was a mass extrajudicial killing that took place in May Atsmi (Tigrinya: ማይ ዓጽሚ) in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia during the Tigray War, on 1 April 2021.[1] May Atsmi is a village south of Wukro Maray in woreda Tahtay Maychew, Central zone of Tigray.

May Atsmi massacre
Part of Tigray War
May Atsmi
May Atsmi
Location of May Atsmi in Tigray (Ethiopia)
LocationMay Atsmi (Tigrinya: ማይ ዓጽሚ), Tigray Region, Ethiopia
Date1 April 2021
TargetTigrayans
Attack type
Deaths22 civilians
Perpetrators Eritrean Defence Forces

Massacre

The Eritrean Defence Forces (EDF) killed 22 civilians in May Atsmi (Central Tigray) on 1 April 2021.[1][2]

Typical massacres committed by Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers in the Tigray war are (1) revenge when they lose a battle; (2) to terrorise and extract information about whereabouts of TPLF leaders; (3) murder of suspected family members of TDF fighters; and (4) terrorising the Tigray society as a whole such as in case of mass killings in churches.[3] The massacres in Wukro Maray and surroundings were carried out by Ethiopian and Eritrean forces, while being defeated by TDF.[2]

Perpetrators

‘’Tghat’’ reported the perpetrators of this massacre as being EDF soldiers.[4]

Victims

The “Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation” mentions 22 victims of this massacre,[1] all of whom have been identified.[4]

Reactions

The “Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation”,[1] that documented this massacre received international media attention, particularly regarding its Annex A, that lists massacres in the Tigray War.[3][5][6][7]

After months of denial by the Ethiopian authorities that massacres occurred in Tigray, a joint investigation by OHCHR and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission was announced in March 2021.[8]

While the Ethiopian government promised that Eritrean troops will be pulled out from Tigray, the Eritrean government denies any participation in warfare in Tigray, let alone in massacres.[9]

See also

References
  1. Annys, S., Vanden Bempt, T., Negash, E., De Sloover, L., Nyssen, J., 2021. Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation
  2. Situation Report EEPA HORN No. 123 - 09 April 2021
  3. The World radio (2 April 2021): Counting the victims in Tigray
  4. TGHAT, A compilation of the verified list of civilian victims from different sources
  5. EuroNews, 2 April 2021 – See film embedded in the news item: G7 'seriously concerned' about human rights violations in Ethiopia's Tigray region
  6. CBC, 2 April 2021: As It Happens: The Friday Edition (from 28:00 to 35:30) Tigray, Ethiopia Massacre
  7. The Guardian, 2 April 2021: Ethiopia: 1,900 people killed in massacres in Tigray identified
  8. France24, 18 March 2021: UN rights chief agrees to joint Tigray probe
  9. DW, 19 March 2021: Fact check: Are other nations involved in the war in Tigray?
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.