The Ziban Gedena massacre was a mass extrajudicial killing that took place in Ziban Gedena () in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia during the Tigray War, on 4 to 7 December 2020.Annys, S., Vanden Bempt, T., Negash, E., De Sloover, L., Nyssen, J., 2021. Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation Ziban Gedena is a village that belongs to woreda Tahtay Adiyabo, northwestern zone of Tigray. Massacre The Eritrean Defence Forces (EDF) killed 150 up to 300 civilians in Ziban Gedena (NW Tigray) on 4 to 7 December 2020.
Perpetrators A UN report indicates that the perpetrators of this massacre were Eritrean soldiers.
Victims The “Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation” mentions approximately 150 victims of this massacre, whereas a UN report mentions 300 civilian victims. Four victims have been identified.TGHAT, A compilation of the verified list of civilian victims from different sources
Reactions The “Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation”, that documented this massacre received international media attention, particularly regarding its Annex A, that lists massacres in the Tigray War.The World radio (2 April 2021): Counting the victims in TigrayEuroNews, 2 April 2021 – See film embedded in the news item: G7 'seriously concerned' about human rights violations in Ethiopia's Tigray region CBC, 2 April 2021: As It Happens: The Friday Edition (from 28:00 to 35:30) Tigray, Ethiopia Massacre The Guardian, 2 April 2021: Ethiopia: 1,900 people killed in massacres in Tigray identified
After months of denial by the Ethiopian authorities that massacres occurred in Tigray, a joint investigation by OHCHR and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission was announced in March 2021.France24, 18 March 2021: UN rights chief agrees to joint Tigray probe
While the Ethiopian government promised that Eritrean troops will be pulled out from Tigray, the Eritrean government denies any participation in warfare in Tigray, let alone in massacres.DW, 19 March 2021: Fact check: Are other nations involved in the war in Tigray?
For this specific massacre, Eritrean and Ethiopian officials did not respond to questions. Billene Seyoum, spox of the Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed denied that farmers were prevented from ploughing.
See also Murders and massacres in the Tigray War Timeline of the Tigray War – December 2020
References
External links World Peace Foundation: Starving Tigray