A human rights group has filed suit against Ethiopian Airlines, claiming that the state-owned airline has a policy of excluding people of the Tigrayan ethnic group.
Ethiopian Airlines is the biggest airline in Africa. Like Lufthansa, United, and EgyptAir, it is a part of Star Alliance, the largest airline alliance in the world.
The Accusation of Discrimination
Human Rights First, a local non-governmental organization, has filed a lawsuit against Ethiopian Airlines. According to The Guardian, the group alleges that the company is discriminating against "Tigrayans aged 15 to 60" by not selling tickets for flights between the northern Tigray area and Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.
It says the firm is also using the price hike as a "collective sanction" against the people of Tigray.
The organization argues this goes against Ethiopian constitutional provisions for freedom of movement and equality amongst ethnic groups.
"By discriminating between citizens and limiting their freedom of movement, the accused has infringed upon their fundamental and democratic rights ... These charges have been presented in order to compel the accused to cease these violations," the complaint reads.
About 6% of Ethiopia's total population are ethnic Tigrayans. From 2020 to 2022, a civil war broke out in their native area of Tigray, killing hundreds of thousands of people and resulting in serious human rights violations.
During the majority of the war, all lines of communication and transportation were shut off, isolating the province of Tigray from the rest of Ethiopia. After a truce was signed last November, flights between Addis Ababa and the Tigrayan towns of Shire and Mekelle, the regional capital, resumed at the end of December 2022.
However, Tigrayans attempting to board flights to Addis Ababa claim they have been denied access to the ticketing system and the planes.
Testimonies From Two Tigrayan Customers and Former Airline Staff
According to Mehret Okubay Berehe, 30, she was denied entry to the Alula Aba Nega airport in Mekelle by Ethiopian Airlines employees in early January despite having a valid ticket. She planned to see an eye doctor in Addis Ababa for treatment of a condition.
Reportedly, Berehe's age was cited by the airline staff as the reason she was denied boarding. A note from her doctor was required a few days later before she was permitted to fly.
Berhe, another Tigrayan, said he was denied entry to the airport two weeks ago while waiting in line to purchase a ticket. Instead, he boarded a bus to Addis Ababa, a trip that took two days due to checkpoints and other security measures.
A former employee of Ethiopian Airlines, speaking to The Guardian on the condition of anonymity, said that employees received instructions in mid-January not to sell tickets to individuals aged 15 to 65 who were coming from the province of Tigray. To get tickets, one apparently must first undergo intensive background checks conducted by spy agencies.
The former worker claims that this was due to government security concerns and the possible departure of young people from Tigray, which is undergoing a humanitarian crisis.
