Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the likelihood of a new conflict in Tigray, and (2) the risk of atrocity crimes in a new conflict in that region.

The Government is deeply concerned about the evolving situation in Tigray and Northern Ethiopia.  Recent clashes in disputed areas and reports of Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) and Tigrayan Forces preparing for conflict, contribute to an increasingly fragile and unpredictable security environment.

Any conflict would further destabilise the region and have a high risk of human rights abuses and atrocities. We engage regularly with all parties, and support efforts to implement the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, including through funding for monitoring and compliance mechanisms and support for conditions that enable the safe, voluntary and dignified return of Internally Displaced People.