May Weyni massacre

The May Weyni massacre was a mass extrajudicial killing that took place in May Weyni (Tigrinya: ማይ ወይኒ) in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia during the Tigray War, on 23 February 2021.[1] May Weyni is a village that belongs to tabiya Addis Alem – May Weyni, woreda Samre, Southeastern zone of Tigray.

May Weyni massacre
Part of Tigray War
May Weyni
May Weyni
Location of May Weyni in Tigray (Ethiopia)
LocationMay Weyni (Tigrinya: ማይ ወይኒ), Tigray Region, Ethiopia
Date23 February 2021
TargetTigrayans
Attack type
Deaths80 civilians
Perpetrators Ethiopian National Defence Force
Eritrean Defence Forces

Massacre

The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) Eritrean Defence Forces (EDF) killed 80 civilians in May Weyni (Southeastern Tigray) on 23 February 2021.[1]

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.[2]

Perpetrators

Relatives and witnesses reported the perpetrators of this massacre as being Eritrean and Ethiopian soldiers.[3]

Victims

The “Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation” mentions 80 victims of this massacre,[1] of which only five have been identified.[3]

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.[2][4][5][6]

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.[7]

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.[8]

References
  1. Annys, S., Vanden Bempt, T., Negash, E., De Sloover, L., Nyssen, J., 2021. Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation
  2. The World radio (2 April 2021): Counting the victims in Tigray
  3. TGHAT, A compilation of the verified list of civilian victims from different sources
  4. EuroNews, 2 April 2021 – See film embedded in the news item: G7 'seriously concerned' about human rights violations in Ethiopia's Tigray region
  5. CBC, 2 April 2021: As It Happens: The Friday Edition (from 28:00 to 35:30) Tigray, Ethiopia Massacre
  6. The Guardian, 2 April 2021: Ethiopia: 1,900 people killed in massacres in Tigray identified
  7. France24, 18 March 2021: UN rights chief agrees to joint Tigray probe
  8. DW, 19 March 2021: Fact check: Are other nations involved in the war in Tigray?
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