Igri Karan massacre

The Igri Karan massacre was a mass extrajudicial killing that took place in Igri Karan (Tigrinya: እግሪ ካራን) in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia during the Tigray War, on 24 November 2020.[1] Igri Karan (also spelled as Egrikaran) is a village, surrounding the Mika’el church, just north of Negash, woreda Kilte Awulaelo, Eastern zone of Tigray.

Landscape near Igri Karan

Igri Karan massacre
Part of Tigray War
Igri Karan (እግሪ ካራን)
Igri Karan (እግሪ ካራን)
Location of Igri Karan in Ethiopia
LocationIgri Karan (Tigrinya: እግሪ ካራን), Tigray Region, Ethiopia
Date24 November
TargetTigrayans
Attack type
Deaths19 civilians
Perpetrators Eritrean Defence Forces

Massacre

The Eritrean Defence Forces (EDF) killed 19 civilians in Igri Karan (Eastern Tigray) on 24 November 2020. As their offensive from the north in direction of Mekelle was not progressing as expected, they took revenge on civilians. Some people were killed by shelling, but most were shot while fleeing.[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;[3] and (4) terrorising the Tigray society as a whole such as in case of mass killings in churches.[4]

Perpetrators

Relatives of the victims interpreted the identity of the perpetrators as Eritrean soldiers.[2]

Victims

The “Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation” mentions 16 victims,[1] all of which have been identified; additional three children are mentioned.[2]

Reactions

The “Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation”,[1] that documented this massacre received international media attention, particularly with regard its Annex A, that lists the massacres.[4][5][6][7] No particular attention so far has been given to the Igri Karan massacre.

References
  1. Annys, S., Vanden Bempt, T., Negash, E., De Sloover, L., Nyssen, J., 2021. Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation
  2. TGHAT, A compilation of the verified list of civilian victims from different sources
  3. Tigray Defence Forces, a military structure that came into existence during the Tigray War, consisting of a merger of Special Forces of the Tigray Regional Government, defected soldiers of the Ethiopian National Defense Force, local militia, members of Tigrayan political parties (TPLF, National Congress of Great Tigray, Salsay Weyane Tigray, Tigray Independence Party, ...) and numerous youth who fled to the mountains.
  4. The World radio (2 April 2021): Counting the victims in Tigray
  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
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