Sexual Assaults Soar in Tigray Following Peace Deal, Study Reveals

A study of medical records reveals that scores of women and girls in Ethiopia's Tigray region were sexually assaulted, often by multiple men alleged to be combatants, after a peace agreement ended the conflict last year. The study found that at least 128 sexual assaults occurred after the peace agreement was signed, with the youngest victim being an 8-year-old girl. Many women and girls were left without treatment for months due to destroyed or looted health facilities. The study suggests that these acts were a systematic use of rape as a weapon of war, and there are concerns that independent accountability efforts may be shut down. Ethiopia's government has criticized outside efforts to promote justice and accountability, and there is a lack of independent inquiry into the civilian toll of the conflict.