Independent: Via AP news wire1 hour ago
New satellite images of a refugee camp in Ethiopia’s embattled Tigray region show more than 400 structures have been badly damaged in what a research group believes is the latest intentional attack by fighters
New satellite images of a refugee camp in Ethiopia’s embattled Tigray region show more than 400 structures have been badly damaged in what a research group believes is the latest “intentional attack” by fighters.
The report by the U.K.-based DX Open Network nonprofit, shared with The Associated Press, says “it is likely that the fire events of 16 January are yet another episode in a series of military incursions on the camp as reported by (the United Nations refugee agency).”
The Shimelba camp is one of four that hosted 96,000 refugees from nearby Eritrea when fighting erupted in early November between Ethiopian forces and those of the defiant Tigray region. The fighting has swept through the camps and two of them, including Shimelba, remain inaccessible to aid workers. Many refugees have fled.
On Thursday, U.N. refugee chief Filippo Grandi cited recent satellite imagery of fires and other destruction at the two inaccessible camps as “concrete indications of major violations of international law.”
On Sunday the U.N. refugee agency urged that it be given access to the camps.
“Until November, 8,700 refugees were registered in Shimelba. We have no information on how many refugees were still in the camp last week,” U.N. refugee agency spokesman Chris Melzer said in an email. “We still have no access to the two northern camps, Shimelba and Hitsats (25,248 refugees registered in November). We demand access since the refugees are without supplies for two and a half months now and we are extremely concerned. We also saw satellite pictures and heard frightening reports. But since we don’t have access we cannot confirm them.”
The new report says the satellite images show “smoldering ruins, blackening of structures and collapsed roofs.” The structures, it said, “match the profile of mud-brick dwellings constructed by the refugees themselves. The attackers likely split into multiple groups going door to door to set fires inside buildings,” consistent with previous attacks on the Hitsats camp, which also is inaccessible.
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Neither the U.N. nor DX Open Network has blamed anyone for the attacks, but the presence of troops from Eritrea, a bitter enemy of the Tigray region’s now-fugitive leaders, has caused alarm. Grandi noted “many reliable reports and firsthand accounts” of abuses including the forced return of refugees to Eritrea.
The day after Grandi’s statement, Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel tweeted that “UNHCR seems to indulge, yet again, in another bout of gratuitous & irresponsible smear campaigns against Eritrea.” He said Eritrea rejects the “forced repatriation of ‘refugees.'”
Eritrea has been described by human rights groups as one of the world’s most repressive countries. Thousands of people have fled the country over the years to avoid a system of military conscription.
Fighting continues in parts of the Tigray region. Thousands of people have been killed and more than 2 million displaced.
Source: Independent
impressive reports are emerging here and there and they all have something in common :Tigrean Forces endured a huge and massive forces for over 2 months . Amhara miilitia, Abiy forces from almost every province in Ethiopia, dead country, Somalien ,Eritrean paid mercenaries bought and imported to Tigray, UAE drones and its employees smuggled to Tigray. All are smashed to the ground by Deki hars Nebri and ado anabist , Tigray! I am proud to be Tigrean.
Glory to our Martyrs and leaders who are courageously fighting our eternal enemies!
report-hundreds-of-somali-troops-used-as-cannon-fodder-in-ethiopias-tigray-war eritreahub
The rogue lawless regime continues to exterminate the Eritrean people from inside out with no accountability, households related to each other are pillaging and killing one another, blood of innocent people flows as the world watches with awe and mercurial characters in their 70’s down fine spirits and toast the demise of their archrivals. Yep, it doesn’t take a social scientist to predict this mayhem of apocalyptic proportion, a boy soldier once said, ‘he ain’t one of us, doesn’t behave like us’.. that was many moons ago. Eritrea today is a case study for the ages, a historical reference lab for social scientists.
ethiopian election is masterminded by Isayas afwrki, rapist ,with his general Philipos, Yemane gebremeskel,, yemane monkey .. Remember to dissolve and destroy mahibrekidusan , hideout of mahra elites who collect taxes like Pharisees and preach hate and unitary regime’s propagada.All these kinds of attacks against Tigrean clergymen were and currently committed by Mahibre kidusan intelligence officers who posed as deacons , merigetas and zemarian . It is customary to see mahibrekidusan members to call themselves deacon , merigeta and zemari and zemarit.
This NGO is not a collection of Christians but disguised members of political party . This must be dismantled . They enrich their company by stealing taxes from all young graduates of universities. Since they brainwash them while they are freshmen at their colleges.
There is always been a power structure in that part of the world which manipulates and curates the politics and balance of power to their strategic need by picking and sometimes discarding local autocratic strong men like their underwear and the poor people sway back and forth like a seaweed under the current, it is a sad situation to be subjected to, the ‘rapist’ and ‘strong men’ you mentioned above behave as such as long as they are serving the need of their masters, the day they deviate from that mission they pluck them out from fagnatura like rats and display them to the world as the bad guys. It is a pecking order and you don’t want to be in the bottom of the totem poll.>>>> I am worried about my people they are withering away in front of my eyes and so am I.