New report warns of genocide against Tigrayans and breaches of international law in Tigray conflict

HRREC
Human rights
International law
Cover page of the Tigray Report by The New Lines Institute
On June 3, 2024, the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy released a groundbreaking report, “Genocide in Tigray: Serious Breaches of International Law and Paths to Accountability.” The 80,000-word publication is the first to directly link the two-year conflict in Tigray to the Genocide Convention and calls for international action.

Based on extensive research, the report examines the Tigray War in Ethiopia, which has resulted in more than 400,000 deaths, making it the deadliest conflict of the 21st century. It finds that all sides, including Ethiopian, allied, and Tigrayan forces, committed war crimes, with Ethiopian forces responsible for crimes against humanity and genocide against Tigrayans.

The report also highlights the role of certain individuals in instigating the genocide and stresses the responsibility of the international community to prevent further atrocities. It calls for accountability and underscores the legal obligations of states under the Geneva Convention and Genocide Convention.

The findings are part of the New Lines Institute's ongoing work on genocide and mass atrocities, which has influenced global policy debates, including genocide definitions in parliaments worldwide.