On 3 July 2021, the Africa Group, comprising Kenya, Nigeria, Tunisia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, addressed the UN Security Council during the debate on the situation in Tigray. Kenya Representative Martin Kimani spoke on behalf of the group, expressing their concerns and demands.
The Africa Group condemned the targeting of unarmed civilians in Tigray, including humanitarian workers, and expressed outrage and sadness over the pain experienced by women and girls who have suffered sexual violence.
They demanded respect for international law, including humanitarian principles, and the moral codes at the core of Africa's cultures and religions. The group welcomed the launch of the Commission of Inquiry on Tigray by the African Commission on Human and People's Rights, which they saw as key to holding perpetrators to account and establishing truth that would serve the cause of peace and nation building.
The Africa Group called for the withdrawal of any and all non-Ethiopian forces from Tigray and the standing down of all militias from neighboring federal states. They also recommended that Ethiopia embrace the tools of mediation in the peace and security architecture, which were forged in Addis Ababa.
The group stated that this was the time for careful diplomacy, the rapid scale-up of humanitarian response, prioritizing people, appreciation of regional stability, and the curbing of misinformation and disinformation.
They concluded by reaffirming their respect for and commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ethiopia, and standing in solidarity with the people of Ethiopia at this defining moment in the pursuit of sustained peace, nation building, and prosperity.
