Commission of Inquiry on Tigray Genocide, Tigray, Mekelle (2026)

25/06/2026

War Against Knowledge: The Deliberate Destruction of Public Libraries in Adigrat, Tigray

The Marta Library and Adigrat Public Library, located in Adigrat town in Eastern Tigray, were among the region’s most significant public knowledge centers. Together, they housed over 100,000 books, including historical archives and educational materials serving students and the wider community.

During the War on Tigray, both libraries were deliberately destroyed. Available evidence indicates extensive burning, damage, and looting of books and archival materials, leaving the facilities almost completely emptied. The destruction affected more than 90% of the collections, while the remaining materials were reportedly taken.

Respondents and local accounts describe the damage as intentional, targeting institutions of learning and knowledge. The libraries were rendered non-functional, with their educational and cultural roles completely eliminated. The loss represents a significant blow to educational access, cultural preservation, and community knowledge systems in Adigrat.

For the details, see the full report, from page 218: https://citghub.org/the-systematic-undoing-of-society-war-damage-and-loss-in-the-social-sector-of-tigray/

21/04/2026

Targeting the Womb: Sexual Violence Against Pregnant and Lactating Women in Tigray

The genocidal war in Tigray exposed some of the most extreme forms of gender-based violence, where even the most vulnerable members of society were deliberately targeted. Among those most profoundly affected were pregnant women, lactating mothers, and religious women, individuals traditionally afforded protection and respect within communities. Instead of being shielded from harm, these women became victims of calculated and merciless acts of sexual violence intended to degrade, terrorize, and inflict irreversible damage on both individuals and the broader social fabric.

Pregnant and lactating women could not escape the widespread gender-based violence that characterized the conflict. Based on the Quantitative findings of War-Induced Genocidal Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Tigray, Ethiopia, Vol 1, 9.9% of survivors were pregnant, while 16.9% were lactating at the time of the incidents, revealing the alarming scale at which perpetrators attacked women even during critical stages of motherhood. These assaults were carried out mercilessly, with no regard for the safety of unborn or newborn children, often resulting in severe physical injuries, pregnancy complications, miscarriages, and lasting reproductive health challenges.

Survivor testimonies provide critical insight into the nature and impact of sexual violence committed against pregnant and lactating women during the conflict in Tigray. The account below reflects the experiences of women who endured severe violence while they were in vulnerable maternal conditions. A 45-year-old survivor from the western zone recaptures that she experienced gang r**e in March 2021 by 7 EDF perpetrators while she was 9 months pregnant. She experienced the gang r**e in a place named Adi-Tsetser while she was fleeing home to Shire. One of the perpetrators, a female soldier, compressed her abdomen, causing her lasting pain. As a result, the survivor gave birth to a stillborn baby.

The experience described above was not an isolated incident. Multiple survivors reported similar acts of violence while pregnant or caring for infants. On January 24, 2021, EDF soldiers gang-r**ed a 35-week pregnant woman who was nearly expecting a child. However, the perpetrators never satisfied with ra**ng her for hours. One of the soldiers then inserted his hand down into the womb of the woman and cruelly pulled out the fetus.

The consequences of these violations extend beyond the immediate suffering of survivors. Sexual violence against pregnant and lactating women disrupted maternal care, endangered infant survival, and deepened the physical and emotional burden on families already affected by war and displacement. By targeting women in their maternal roles, these acts of violence not only harmed individuals but also threatened the health, stability, and continuity of communities, leaving enduring impacts that will be felt across generations.

For the details, see the full report, from page 49:https://citghub.org/war-induced-genocidal-sexual-and-gender-based-violence-in-tigray-ethiopia-vol-1/

United Nations UN Women

01/04/2026

The war that left nothing standing: destruction that denies even animals a chance to live

The war in Tigray, where most people rely on agriculture, has devastated livestock and the veterinary systems that sustain them. Clinics have been destroyed, and critical medical supplies lost, leaving communities unable to protect animal health or maintain their livelihoods.

According to the CITG report, 4,425 households lost around 3.6 million veterinary items, with total damage estimated at over US$93 million. This figure reflects not just financial loss, but the collapse of essential animal healthcare services.

The pattern of damage tells a deeper story. Nearly half of the losses (about US$44 million) came from outright destruction, while looting and theft together accounted for almost as much (around US$43 million). This balance suggests a combination of deliberate destruction and systematic removal of resources, rather than incidental wartime damage.

What is most alarming is the severity: over 96% of the damage was complete, meaning the vast majority of equipment and supplies were entirely destroyed and left unusable. Only a very small share remained partially recoverable. In practical terms, this has left veterinary services almost nonfunctional across affected areas.

Responsibility is also highly concentrated. The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) accounts for about 56% of the damage, followed by the Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF) at roughly 40%. Together, they represent more than 96% of total losses, while other groups contributed only marginally.

Overall, the findings reveal a large-scale, systematic dismantling of Tigray’s veterinary infrastructure. Beyond the numbers, the impact is clear: weakened livestock systems, reduced agricultural productivity, and growing risks to food security and rural survival.

For the details, see the full report, from page 65:https://citghub.org/report-on-tigrays-productive-sector-and-livelihood-effects-and-impacts-of-the-war-siege-and-blockade-volume-1/

21/03/2026

Living in a Blackout: Telecommunications Shutdown as a Tool of War

The two-year war on Tigray inflicted unprecedented destruction on the telecommunications infrastructure, dismantling a critical foundation for communication, governance, and socio-economic development.

The telecommunications facility located in Hawzen town was not spared from this pattern of attacks. Silencing the voice of the people, preventing communities from communicating with one another, and isolating them from the outside world were components of the systematic campaign of violence by the perpetrators.

A resident in the town stated that on December 12, 2020, at around 3:00 a.m., the telecom site was deliberately torched. A dog’s continuous barking alerted its owner to the movement of a double-cabin pickup truck around the compound. From his window, he observed the pickup’s movement. Shortly thereafter, flames erupted from the site. The resident immediately alerted neighbors using the community’s signaling method.

The Hawzen Ethio-Telecom site housed multiple layers of critical infrastructure. It included a Main Distribution Frame (MDF), a Base Transceiver Station (BTS), and a power house, all of which were central to the provision of telecom services. The site also hosts a fully equipped sales shop for Ethio-Telecom devices such as mobile phones, SIM cards, and routers, as well as customer support services.

“Two armed men were moving inside the compound. One of them was overheard urging the other in Tigrigna, saying, ‘Marks keltif’ means “Marks, hurry up”- urging him to leave the area swiftly. Shortly afterward, the two men fled the compound in the pickup truck, leaving the telecommunication site fully ablaze,” the witness said.

This facility was not only a telecommunications hub but also a lifeline for the surrounding community, serving both the town of Hawzen and nearby rural areas. Its destruction reflects the deliberate targeting of critical infrastructure, with far-reaching consequences for communication, social life, and economic resilience, ultimately aggravating the humanitarian crisis in the Tigray region.

For the details, see the full report, from page 116:https://citghub.org/targeted-destruction-damage-and-loss-assessment-on-tigrays-public-infrastructure-sector/

16/03/2026

The Systematic Dismantling of Social Welfare and Community Support Systems

The war, siege, and blockades profoundly disrupted social welfare organizations in Tigray, including Equb, Eddir, and other community-based initiatives that historically supported mutual aid, conflict resolution, and development. These disruptions resulted in financial losses exceeding USD 278.07 million, contributing to economic collapse, rising poverty, reduced access to essential services, weakened social cohesion, and large-scale displacement, collectively undermining long-term recovery and development.

One of the most severe impacts has been the erosion of community cohesion. Institutions that traditionally fostered inclusion and cooperation were severely weakened, deepening social divisions. A household survey of 658,776 respondents reported widespread damage to social and cultural values, including broken family bonds, fractured social ties, erosion of social norms, declining cooperation, reduced trust, diminished optimism for peace, and weakened self-sufficiency. Consequently, community participation in local institutions declined sharply due to economic, social, and psychological barriers.

The humanitarian consequences further overwhelmed social welfare organizations. Massive loss of life, widespread sexual violence, and large-scale displacement strained already limited resources and reduced the ability of these institutions to deliver essential services. The war also eroded public trust in both formal and informal welfare structures, leaving loss of legitimacy and diminished community engagement.

For the details, see the full report, from page 266: https://citghub.org/the-systematic-undoing-of-society-war-damage-and-loss-in-the-social-sector-of-tigray/

06/03/2026

The Calculated Weapon: Miliete’s Case and the Genocidal Intent of Sexual Violence endured during the war on Tigray

Behind every survivor of violence stands a family often struggling to stay upright. The comprehensive report on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) across Tigray released by Commission of Inquiry on Tigray Genocide (CITG) indicate that nearly half (45.6%) of the sexual violence survivors who managed to share the trauma experienced by their family, see their own trauma reflected in the deteriorating health of their loved ones, a rate significantly higher than that was found in SGBV cases in general. This “secondary traumatization” is more than a statistic; it is a physical and emotional burden that can shatter a family’s health and well-being. Miliete’s case, shared below, highlights the heavy toll this shared trauma takes on the family unit as a whole.

Miliete, a 32-year-old married woman, lives in a certain town in Tigray. She used to run a shop for a living. As the war got closer to the town where she was residing, on November 17, 2020, she started to escape the town carrying her 5-year-old daughter on her back. Unfortunately, she was stopped by three ENDF perpetrators on her way to her parents’ house. Then the soldiers commanded her to let her daughter down. Miliete recalls her daughter whispering in her ear ‘Will they kill us?’ Though she pleaded to leave her, one of the soldiers shot her daughter twice to death while she was on her back, where her body had been split into pieces. The bullets also managed to wound Miliete around her chest and left hand. Though she was bleeding and her daughter’s body was dispersed here and there, they mercilessly started ra**ng her, and when she tried to struggle, one of them stabbed her with a knife in her thigh. They repeatedly gang r**ed her and eventually rendered her unconscious. Persons who manage to escape have picked her up and taken her to a cave, collected the splintered body of her daughter, and buried the same. After three days without medical treatment, Miliete was taken to a nearby Hospital.

As a result of the gang r**e, Miliete has sustained serious bodily and mental harm, which includes permanent injury on her left hand, abnormal vaginal discharge, blood pressure, menstrual cycle disorder, and epilepsy, which has subjected her to regular medication. Moreover, she has lost her marriage due to the incident. Her husband always blames and humiliates her as being the cause for the daughter’s death. Her mother has also developed psychological problems after she learnt about the incident her daughter Miliete suffered, and the reason for the death of her granddaughter, too. Just like Miliete, her mother has also been confirmed positive for epilepsy and has started taking pills regularly.

Ultimately, Miliete’s experience reflects a dark reality of the victims and survivors of the Tigray Genocide. As established in the landmark Akayesu case at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, sexual violence is a means of inflicting “serious bodily or mental harm” with the specific intent to destroy a protected group. By targeting the reproductive health and social cohesion of a community, perpetrators seek to ensure that a group cannot recover or grow. Recognizing this war-related sexual violence as a genocidal act rather than a secondary war crime is the only way to ensure that the justice served is as profound as the harm inflicted.

For the details, see the full report, from page 74: https://citghub.org/war-induced-genocidal-sexual-and-gender-based-violence-in-tigray-ethiopia-vol-1/

Human Rights Watch United Nations UNICEF International Committee of the Red Cross International Committee of the Red Cross UN Women

20/02/2026

Impact of the Genocidal War on General Education Institutions

The war on Tigray has severely disrupted the general education system, rendering the majority of institutions unable to provide normal educational services. An assessment of 1,758 public general education institutions, including schools, education bureaus, and woreda education offices, reveals widespread functional breakdown across the sector.

A significant proportion of institutions are severely non-functional, with 18.11% completely unable to operate due to destruction, looting, or the total displacement of staff and learners. An additional 47.32% are moderately non-functional, struggling to deliver education services as a result of damaged infrastructure, shortages of teachers, and the loss of learning materials.

Meanwhile, according to CITG`s survey in 2022, 34.57% of institutions remain partially functional, continuing limited educational activities under unsafe and highly constrained conditions, often with damaged facilities and scarce resources.

Overall, 85.92% of all assessed institutions are either severely, moderately, or partially non-functional. As a result, only a very small number of institutions can be considered fully functional, underscoring the profound impact of the war on the education system.

For the details, see the full report, from page 52: https://citghub.org/the-systematic-undoing-of-society-war-damage-and-loss-in-the-social-sector-of-tigray/

Alliance for Education Human Rights Watch International Crisis Group Education Week

16/02/2026

Power Blackout and Institutional Fragility as a Weapon of War

As Ethiopia’s first and largest wind farm, Ashegoda was a flagship renewable energy project designed to support the national grid. It is located approximately 24km southeast of Mekelle. The facility combines thirty 1MW Vergnet turbines and fifty-four 1.67MW Alstom turbines.

The Ashegoda Wind Farm, once a symbol of renewable energy progress not only in Ethiopia but also known as the biggest in sub-Saharan Africa, has become a blunt example of how civilian infrastructure can be systematically destroyed during war.

As part of a wider pattern, Ashegoda’s energy infrastructure was deliberately targeted during the Tigray war. The shutdown of the Ashegoda Wind Farm was the direct result of three interrelated wartime factors: first, targeted physical destruction of critical components, including damage to the T1 steel tower of an ECO-74 turbine, which severely undermined the facility’s power generation capacity; second, the complete disconnection of Tigray from the national grid in 2020, which isolated the plant and rendered any remaining electricity production unusable; and third, the comprehensive blockade imposed on the Tigray region, which blocked access to spare parts, specialized maintenance equipment, and fuel, making repairs and continued operation impossible and accelerating the facility’s deterioration.

The most devastating impacts occurred during the 2020 – 2021 wartime period. The wind farm’s performance shows a clear and disturbing trajectory: initial success and meeting of generation targets between 2014 and 2016 were followed by a sharp deterioration in 2017-2018, ultimately leading to operational collapse by 2021. This pattern makes clear that pre-existing technical and maintenance constraints were dramatically exacerbated by the Tigray war.

The bulk of the destruction was inflicted by the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF), whose attacks focused on high-value civilian energy assets. This strategy has driven the Ashegoda Wind Farm into collapse, with energy production falling from 221.8 GWh in 2016 to only 0.97 GWh in 2021, reducing 99.6% of its operational capacity and deliberately depriving civilians of a critical power source, and keeping them in darkness.

The destruction of the Ashegoda Wind Farm is a clear case of how pre-existing wartime tactics weaponized institutional fragility to ensure the complete and lasting collapse of critical civilian energy infrastructure.

For the details, see the full report, from page 80: https://citghub.org/targeted-destruction-damage-and-loss-assessment-on-tigrays-public-infrastructure-sector/

Human Rights Watch United Nations

10/02/2026

“I Would Not Wish These Nights Upon My Enemy”: Helen’s Testimony

Helen (not her real name) is a 38-year-old woman originally from Tabya Wuhdet in Qafta Humera. Her life changed forever in November 2020 when the Tigray war forced her family to flee. She describes the harrowing night they left:

The Amhara soldiers came in, and we had to leave. It was night, and we didn’t even have time to take our belongings. They told us they were there, and we never looked back. I left behind my jewelry and my crops. I fled with my husband, our five children, and my two disabled siblings.”

The family initially sought refuge with Helen’s in-laws in a rural area, but the violence followed them. After her mother-in-law was killed inside her own home by Fano militias, the family fled again to May-Tsebri. With her husband away serving in the TDF, Helen found herself alone and destitute. For a year, she and her children stayed with distant relatives, but when they began demanding rent that she could not afford, she was forced to move to Endabaguna. In Endabaguna, the struggle for survival became even more desperate. Helen began collecting and selling firewood to feed her children, often facing hostility from local residents who accused the displaced of ruining the land and frequently confiscated her wood.

Nobody would take pity on us. I would collect firewood to survive, but now my knees are injured. The burden has fallen on my eldest daughter; she carries the weight of feeding us all by begging everywhere. I even had to ask my disabled siblings to go out and live on their own because I could not support them. I cannot send my children away, but I feel such misery.

The family was eventually relocated to May-Dmu, but the humanitarian aid they were promised has been inconsistent and exclusionary. Although NGOs took their fingerprints in Endabaguna, they were later told they were ineligible for aid because they lived outside the formal IDP camp. While they received 9,000 Birr for three months starting in October, all payments have since ceased. Helen is now five months pregnant and living in a shelter made of a single plastic sheet. Her husband, having returned from the war with a severe back injury, is unable to perform physical labor or even carry water.

You can see my shelter; I sleep on a bed I have made from mud and stones, barely covered by a mosquito net. My husband is in constant pain, and I am sick often. During the day, the sun burns us through the plastic. My children are registered for school, but they refuse to go, asking how they can study when they have nothing to eat.

Back in Qafta Humera, Helen’s family were successful farmers, harvesting sesame and barley. Today, she faces the prospect of giving birth in a state of extreme malnutrition and mental stress. “I am scared for my life. I need food and bedding. My hips hurt from sleeping on the ground. When I think of giving birth, I know I need nutrition that I simply do not have. I am living through hope alone, but we need help immediately.”

For the details, see the full report: https://citghub.org/the-plight-of-internally-displaced-persons-in-tigray-a-special-assessment-report/

Human Rights Watch IOM - UN Migration United Nations UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency International Rescue Committee International Committee of the Red Cross

07/02/2026

Factories as Frontlines: Coordinated Destruction of Semayata Dimension Stone Factory

This case study of the Semayata Dimension Stone Factory illustrates the severe human and economic costs of a coordinated campaign of destruction during the genocidal war in Tigray. Witnesses report that factory guards attempting to protect heavy civilian machinery were killed by armed Eritrean forces, effectively eliminating organized resistance. While isolated attempts were later made by local workers to intervene, these acts underscored their awareness that the looting was deliberate and strategic, despite the extreme danger involved.

Eyewitness testimony indicates that the destruction of industrial infrastructure was part of a broader strategy to punish Tigrayans and facilitating their permanent displacement from the region. Statements attributed to EDF personnel reveal that dismantling Tigray’s economic base was viewed as the most efficient means of compelling evacuation. By removing or destroying machinery, perpetrators eliminated livelihoods and rendered communities economically unviable, ensuring long-term displacement.

Visual evidence further supports the systematic nature of the operation, including military uniforms left at looted and burned facilities, indicating direct armed involvement. The operation combined military force with technically skilled civilians who dismantled valuable equipment while ensuring the remaining infrastructure was rendered unusable. This dual approach strategic looting paired with targeted destruction amounted to a form of economic warfare.

Overall, the coordinated actions of armed forces and civilian technicians resulted in the near-total collapse of key industrial facilities, widespread loss of employment, and lasting damage to the region’s economic stability. The events reflect a calculated strategy designed to achieve both immediate control and enduring economic devastation.

For the full report: https://citghub.org/report-on-tigrays-productive-sector-and-livelihood-effects-and-impacts-of-the-war-siege-and-blockade-volume-1/

Human Rights Watch United Nations UNICEF

Commission of Inquiry on Tigray Genocide

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