HRW: 'civilians have continued to bare the brunt of conflict' in Africa

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on The African Union (AU) and subregional mechanisms to urgently establish systems to ensure rigorous human rights monitoring and reporting in areas of conflict. 

In at least 15 armed conflicts, including in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Mali, Burkina Faso, and South Sudan, government forces or non-state armed groups have been implicated in abuses against civilians according to the report. 

"Some of the most egregious human rights violations continue to cascade in the context of conflicts. Civilians have continued to bare the brunt of armed conflict, communal violence, political, and social unrest, as well as government repression against critical and independent voices in several African countries" said Mausi Segun the Africa director at Human Rights Watch.

She added, "There was an AU extra-ordinary summit on unconstitutional coups in May of last year where the African union condemned terrorism, violent extremism, and all forms of unconstitutional changes of government; we are calling on the African union and its mechanisms to also put human rights, justice and accountability at the core of its different processes and decisions."

In particular, it calls on the international community to "continue to push" for accountability for abuses committed in the Tigray region of Ethiopia following the peace agreement reached last November.