F17: Tigray and the Ethiopian Civil War

Motion Passed by Conference

Proposed by: 11 members

Mover: Mover: Layla Moran MP (Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and International Development).

Summation: To be announced.

Conference notes with concern:

1. The ongoing civil war in Ethiopia, primarily between Ethiopian government forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which has resulted in:
   1. The deaths of tens of thousands of civilians by airstrikes, massacres and starvation.
   2. The internal displacement of 4 million.
   3. At least 9 million in need of desperate help.
2. The publication of the Joint Investigation by the UN Human Rights Office and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, which found that “there are reasonable grounds to believe that all parties to the conflict in Tigray have, to varying degrees, committed violations of international human rights, humanitarian and refugee law, some of which may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity”.
3. The humanitarian crisis and in particular the threat of mass starvation in:
   1. Tigray, which has been particularly exacerbated by the de facto blockade of aid into the region by the Ethiopian government.
   2. Other parts of Northern Ethiopia, where the UN World Food Programme (WFP) was forced to halt aid distribution following the looting of warehouses by Tigrayan rebels.
4. The horrific reports of the use of rape and sexual violence as a tool of conflict, by troops allied with the Ethiopian government in Tigray, as well as by TPLF fighters.
5. The alleged atrocities committed by Tigrayan forces in Amhara and Afar including reports of summary executions.
6. The highly concerning reports of mass detention of Tigrayans, by the Ethiopian government, on the basis of their ethnicity
7. The refusal of all parties to the conflict to seriously engage with attempts, including those of the African Union and former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo to negotiate a ceasefire.
8. The serious danger of the potential spread of ethnic violence spreading to and including areas of Sudan and Eritrea.
9. That the UK’s influence in the Horn of Africa, and therefore our ability as an actor making the case for a diplomatic solution, has been hampered by our exit from the European Union and the Government’s decision to abandon the international development target of 0.7% of GNI.
10. The planned Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) cut to Official Development Assistance (ODA) in Ethiopia, from £241m in 2020-21 to £108m in 2021-22

Conference reaffirms the fundamental liberal principles of equality, human rights, peace, democracy and the rule of international law.

Conference therefore calls upon the UK Government to:

1. Redouble efforts to pursue a ceasefire in Ethiopia
2. Work with permanent members of the UN Security Council, and other international partners such as the African Union to:
   1. Push for negotiations to reach a sustainable peace.
   2. Secure humanitarian access.
   3. Investigate human rights abuses and war crimes.
3. Use Magnitsky sanctions against those who are perpetrating violence or preventing humanitarian aid for getting to those who need it.
4. Work closely with neighbouring countries in an effort to prevent spill over of ethnic violence to the wider region.
5. Urge all parties to provide safe passage to those fleeing the conflict and to create humanitarian corridors.
6. Restore the 0.7% of GNI target for international development spending including:
   1. Urgently increasing funding for humanitarian relief, via independent agencies, in Ethiopia in 2022/23.
   2. Providing Official Development Assistance (ODA) support for Ethiopian and Tigrayan refugees.
7. Prioritise the eradication of sexual violence in conflict, including by increasing ODA funding for such initiatives.

Applicability: Federal.

Mover: 5 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes.

For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see page 9. To submit a speaker’s card, complete this form.

The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00, Monday 28 February; see page 12. Amendments selected for debate will be published in the Conference Extra and Saturday Conference Daily updates to the Conference Agenda.

The deadline for requests for separate votes is 11.00 Friday 11 March; see page 9.

The FCC has agreed to make the following drafting amendments to the motion:

Delete 2. b) (line 49) and insert:

b) Secure unfettered humanitarian access for impartial international aid agencies.

Delete 2. c) (line 50) and insert:

c) Provide protection and support to impartial international human rights NGOs to enable unfettered access for the investigation of human rights abuses and war crimes, and if appropriate to refer the resulting evidence to the International Criminal Court.