Western Tigray Residents Report Arbitrary Detention and Second-Class Treatment as Over 800,000 Displaced in Ethiopia

People from Ethiopia’s Western Tigray region have reported arbitrary detention and discriminatory treatment by authorities and security forces, according to Human Rights Watch.

Human Rights Watch documented that ethnic Tigrayans in the contested Western Tigray Zone are being arbitrarily detained and subjected to a system that severely restricts their movements, employment, and access to services, effectively treating them as second-class citizens.

The organization also reported that more than 800,000 people in the Tigray region remain internally displaced, underscoring the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the area despite previous truces.

These findings were shared by FRANCE 24’s Tom Canetti, who cited testimonies from individuals in Western Tigray describing arbitrary arrests and systemic discrimination by Ethiopian authorities and security forces.

The Western Tigray Zone has been a focal point of ethnic tensions and administrative disputes, with reports indicating that Tigrayans face barriers to returning to their homes and accessing basic livelihoods even after formal agreements aimed at ending hostilities.

Human Rights Watch has called on the Ethiopian government and its international partners to address the ongoing abuses and ensure the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of displaced Tigrayans to their areas of origin.