Thread by @althecat

Live thread on @Amnesty/@HRW space on Wolkayit (or as they call it "Western #Tigray". Introduction is now underway. Hosted by @astroehlein

Three experts to talk.
- Jean-Baptiste Gallopin @jbgallopin
- @Amnesty's @LaetitiaBader
- @Amnesty's @FissehaTekle

Its being recorded.

https://twitter.com/althecat/status/1513879893058232337

@amnesty @hrw @astroehlein @jbgallopin @LaetitiaBader @FissehaTekle . @jbgallopin is just summarising the contents of the report. In his intro @astroehlein said the space is going to be structured around questions asked by listeners. We shall see what questions they decide to ask their speakers to respond to.

At present there are 826 listeners.

Gallopin is now talking about the bodies in the Tekeze river. I.E. the Lucy Kassa Nima Elbagir "bodies in the river" stories.
& now talking about a 4th wave of violence against.

This introduction is entirely about crimes committed against Tegaru.

. @astroehlein has just asked if there was any coordination of the "war crimes" and "ethnic cleansing" activities.

. As evidence of coordination Gallopin 1st referred to meetings being held + pamphlets then moved to the claims made at the December UNHRC meeting r.e. Humera.

I'm starting to think that @jbgallopin is actually the person responsible for producing this report. The two other experts @LaetitiaBader and @FissehaTekle are both in management.

Next question to @FissehaTekle addressing the issue of methodology. Which he says is the main question raised in listener questions.

Unfortunately he has a terrible line - high pitched buzzing noise - then dropped.

.@LaetitiaBader is asked "who are we asking to do what?"

Answer: We have immediate concerns about the possibly 1000s of men and boys in detention in Western Tigray. Amnesty was recently documenting lots of cases of people dying in detention.

She says that the Federal Govt, FANO and administrators have to be removed from their positions so they cannot keep up with their abuses. Earlier @jbgallopin named Demeke Zwede as one of the targets of the report.

Laetitia is now also talking about the three named individuals against whom action she is demanding ought to be taken by the Federal Govt.

She says that it is not possible for people to return, yet. And so they are not asking for that yet. She says "hundreds of thousands" of people have been displaced (which is doubtful given the population number errors in the @Amnesty report).

She has repeated her call for an AU led international peacekeeping force to be deployed in Wolkayit. Another demand which seems unlikely to be agreed to.

We have @FissehaTekle back now. Talking on methodology.

"It was very difficult for us to come up with this report as we were not able to go to the ground." He says HRW and Amnesty both asked for access but were not granted it.

So far he has just repeated what is in the report. I.E. 427 reports mostly with Tegaru in Sudan and Shire + some remote telephone calls to Wolkaite including with Humera.

Phone and internet blackout posed problems. We have developed a methodology to make findings and corroborate without access.

Before publication Amnesty asked FDRE, TPLF and Amhara Regional Govt. Only Amhara responded - and they simply dismissed the report.

Back to Gallopin. Says that the main issue is that the perpetrators of the claimed abuses are in control of the area.He says the AU should take action and UN should support. (i.e. repeating what Bader said earlier.)

[This would be better if they had allowed actual questions.]

Now we have a TPLF question: Why is this called "Ethnic Cleansing" and not called "Genocide." @FissehaTekle replies. Says that the purpose of the abuses was to drive people out. Hence "Ethnic Cleansing."

@FissehaTekle says they have not ruled out "Genocide", but more research will be needed.

Here's a good question not being answered yet:
@LaetitiaBader @jbgallopin @astroehlein

Do the organisations not believe there is a significant conflict of interest having @FissehaTekle, a TPLF associate & an active Tigrayan government supporter, leading this investigation?

@LaetitiaBader @jbgallopin @astroehlein @FissehaTekle Fisseha is now acknowledging that the FDRE / ENDF has prosecuted some ENDF military for crimes, but says that as the courts are close military courts this is not transparent.

.@LaetitiaBader concluding remarks - it is incredibly important that there be a concerted regional and international response to their report.

And its a wrap.