The European Union highlights conflict-related abuses and humanitarian restrictions linked to the continued presence of Eritrean forces in northern Ethiopia as major concerns, while reporting that Ethiopia's transitional justice process has stalled despite the government's approval of a national policy and roadmap.
The European Union's 2025 Human Rights and Democracy in the World report identifies the lack of progress on accountability and implementation of post-conflict measures as one of the central human rights developments in Ethiopia during the reporting period.
According to the report, a policy and roadmap for Transitional Justice were developed, which the government approved. However, it states that delays in measures to ensure disarmament, transitional justice and accountability persisted, and the initiative has stalled.
The findings are revealed as the country faces continued instability across multiple regions.
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"Ethiopia's human rights and democracy situation continued to be shaped by the legacy of the conflict in northern Ethiopia, the implementation of the Pretoria peace agreement, ongoing extensive fighting in the Afar and Amhara regions, and ongoing instability in Oromia and other regions," reads the EU report.
While the document said the Pretoria Agreement helped establish a "fragile peace" in Tigray, it also adds that the agreement "opened new fronts in the Amhara region and enhanced tensions with Eritrea."
The report links the stalled transitional justice process to broader accountability concerns, saying that implementation has lagged even after the adoption of the policy framework.
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"Delays in measures to ensure disarmament, transitional justice and accountability persisted. This undermined stability at large. The federal government's efforts to centralise authority amid ethnic tensions and armed insurgencies further strained democratic institutions and compromised the respect for human rights," it reads.
The report also highlights the continued presence of Eritrean forces in northern Ethiopia and ongoing armed clashes involving multiple actors, and decries restrictions facing humanitarian agencies in conflict-affected areas.
On the other hand, it states that "significant progress with the National Dialogue" was recorded, alongside "significant changes in the leadership of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission" while implementation of key post-conflict commitments remained incomplete.
The report also places the transitional justice issue within a wider international accountability context and states that Ethiopia's fourth Universal Periodic Review was adopted in 2025 and included recommendations on "accountability for conflict-related abuses, press freedom, and judicial independence."
According to the report, implementation of those recommendations remained uneven, and concerns persisted over "restrictions on civic space, delayed justice for victims, and ongoing conflicts."
"While Ethiopia was re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) (2025-2027), concerns persist over its domestic human rights record, including restrictions on civic space, delayed justice for victims, and ongoing conflicts. International partners, including the EU, US, and AU, continue to urge greater transparency, accountability, and adherence to international human rights obligations," it reads.
