Statement by Alliances for Africa at the 69th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights

Alliances for Africa is an international African led non-governmental human rights, peace and sustainable development organization. AfA works with partners in, around and beyond the continent of Africa. Alliances for Africa is a member of the Solidarity for African Women’s Rights (SOAWR), a coalition of 63 organizations working on women’s rights in 32 countries in Africa. SOAWR was formed with the principal objective of advocating for the ratification, domestication and implementation of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (the Maputo Protocol).

Honourable Chairperson, one year since the start of the Tigray War, reports of sexual violence against women and girls point to the continued use of rape, sexual slavery, sexual humiliation and other forms of sexual abuse as a weapon in this conflict. This is in addition to the humanitarian crisis that has been exacerbated by attacks against humanitarian agencies and their workers, blockades and the looting and destruction of essential humanitarian supplies. While we acknowledge the continued work of the Commission of Inquiry on the Situation of the Tigray

Region of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia (“Commission of Inquiry”), we urge the African Commission to continue using its good offices to press for the immediate end to all violations and abuses of international human rights law and humanitarian war, with a special emphasis on the need to end all forms of violence against women and girls.