The Hagere Selam massacres were mass extrajudicial killings that took place in Hagere Selam in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia during the Tigray War, on 4 and 5 December 2020.Annys, S., Vanden Bempt, T., Negash, E., De Sloover, L., Nyssen, J., 2021. Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation, Annex A
Executions In Hagere Selam, where Belgian physical geographer Jan Nyssen has a secondary residence, Nyssen reported extrajudicial killings of 60 civilians during 4–5 December 2020 by the ENDF and EDF. The EDF then looted Hagere Selam during two days, including Nyssen's house, from which his fridge, bed, clothes, plastic basins and other goods were stolen.
Typical massacres committed by Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers in the Tigray war are (1) revenge when they lose a battle; (2) to terrorise and extract information about whereabouts of TPLF leaders; (3) murder of suspected family members of TDF fighters;Tigray Defence Forces, a military structure that came into existence during the Tigray War, consisting of a merger of Special Forces of the Tigray Regional Government, defected soldiers of the Ethiopian National Defense Force, local militia, members of Tigrayan political parties (TPLF, National Congress of Great Tigray, Salsay Weyane Tigray, Tigray Independence Party, ...) and numerous youth who fled to the mountains. and (4) terrorising the Tigray society as a whole such as in case of mass killings in churches.The World radio (2 April 2021): Counting the victims in Tigray According to Europe External Programme with Africa (EEPA), the executions are interpreted as revenge for the EDF having lost a battle against Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces.
Perpetrators The inhabitants interpreted the identity of the perpetrators as Eritrean and Ethiopian soldiers.
Victims The “Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation” mentions 23 victims, of which 21 have been identified.TGHAT, A compilation of the verified list of civilian victims from different sources
Reactions The “Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation”, that documented this massacre received international media attention, particularly with regard its Annex A, that lists the massacres.EuroNews, 2 April 2021 – See film embedded in the news item: G7 'seriously concerned' about human rights violations in Ethiopia's Tigray regionCBC, 2 April 2021: As It Happens: The Friday Edition (from 28:00 to 35:30) Tigray, Ethiopia MassacreThe Guardian, 2 April 2021: Ethiopia: 1,900 people killed in massacres in Tigray identified
After months of denial by the Ethiopian authorities that massacres occurred in Tigray, a joint investigation by OHCHR and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has been announced in March 2021.France24, 18 March 2021: UN rights chief agrees to joint Tigray probe
While the Ethiopian government promised that Eritrean troops will be pulled out from Tigray, the Eritrean government denies any participation in warfare in Tigray, leave alone in massacres.DW, 19 March 2021: Fact check: Are other nations involved in the war in Tigray?
See also Galikoma massacre Benishangul-Gumuz conflict
References
External links World Peace Foundation: Starving Tigray