Ethiopian and Eritrean forces waged a “devastating and genocidal war” in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, the region’s deposed leader said.
Debretsion Gebremichael urged the international community to investigate the alleged atrocities.
The Ethiopian government said its allegations were “unfounded” and that its forces were guilty of “horrendous crimes”.
The conflict broke out in November after Debretsion’s forces captured the Ethiopian government’s military bases in Tigray.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy responded by ordering a ground and air offensive that led his troops to capture the regional capital, Mekelle, on 28 November.
Debretsion fled the capital with fighters from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and promised to resist federal control over the region.
The conflict has led to the displacement of about two million people, or a third of the population of Tigray.
What exactly did the TPLF leader say?
This was the first time in more than two months that Mr. Debretsion spoke in public. An audio recording of his comments, lasting about 20 minutes, was transmitted to a Facebook account managed by a TPLF media outlet.
“A devastating and genocidal war was fought against the people of Tigray because they fought hard for their right to self-determination and held democratic elections. The invasion and massacre continued. The same is true of the struggle of the people of Tigray, ”he said.
Mr. Debretsion also alleged widespread incidents of homicide, rape, torture and starvation.
It is unclear when the recording was made, but he did mention the murders of other TPLF leaders, which suggested it was recent.
Debretsion is wanted by the government on charges of treason.
Officials announced earlier this month that several senior members of the TPLF, including former Ethiopian foreign minister Seyoum Mesfin, were killed in the conflict.
Debretsion said the TPLF suffered setbacks because “four governments” were fighting it in Tigray.
“Abiy Ahmed has invited forces, including the Eritrean army, and are massacring the people of Tigray.
“Atrocities must be investigated and all legal actions taken against invading forces,” he said.
The Eritrean and Ethiopian governments previously denied that Eritrean troops were involved in the conflict.
But the US State Department said last week that Eritrean troops were in Tigray and should withdraw immediately.
“Credible reports” emerged from his involvement in human rights abuses, including sexual violence and looting, the state department said.
Mr. Debretsion did not mention the other countries allegedly involved in the conflict. Somalia has previously denied that its troops are fighting alongside Ethiopian forces in Tigray.
The TPLF had also previously claimed that drones from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were being used to attack its forces, but Ethiopia denied that the Gulf state was involved in the conflict.
What was the government’s reaction to the allegations of genocide?
An Abiy spokeswoman, Billene Seyoum, told the BBC that she could not “speak to the delusions of a criminal group’s Facebook page”.
“With respect to rule of law operations, the crime clique and its international representatives have tried to divert international attention to the [making] baseless allegations of genocide as early as November to cover up the horrific crimes of the TPLF, “said Billene Seyoum.
The international community and the media need to support the government’s efforts to bring the TPLF to justice “instead of covering them up,” she added.
How bad is the conflict?
It has been difficult to verify information about alleged atrocities because of media restrictions and a communication blackout in areas affected by the conflict in the mountainous region.
However, human rights bodies and aid agencies have reported the deaths of civilians, as well as widespread damage and looting of homes, businesses, hospitals and food stores.
A government official, quoted in a leaked copy of notes taken at a meeting of aid workers, said that “hundreds of thousands could starve” and that some people have already died.
The government said it is doing its best to deliver food to people.
What is the background to the conflict?
In addition to ruling in Tigray, the TPLF was the dominant party in a federal coalition government until Abiy took office in 2018 after mass protests against his authoritarian regime.
The party held elections in Tigray last September, challenging the federal level’s decision to postpone all elections because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Abiy then accused the TPLF of being illegally in power, while accusing him of leading an “illegitimate” government that no longer had a mandate to govern.
Tensions increased and fighting began in early November.