Human Rights Watch Calls August Mekelle Drone Strike 'Unlawfully Indiscriminate'

Human Rights Watch published a report on Sep 25, 2026 concluding that the Aug 20, 2026 airstrike on a residential compound in Mekelle's Daero neighborhood — part of the dual strikes that wounded 13 civilians including 7 children — used an air-dropped general-purpose bomb that left a roughly 4-meter crater and struck a compound 'with no evident military targets.' HRW characterized the strike as unlawfully indiscriminate under international humanitarian law and called on Ethiopian authorities to 'impartially and transparently investigate the attack, prosecute those responsible for any wrongdoing, and adequately compensate the victims.' The group also urged the African Union to convene parties under the November 2022 Pretoria agreement framework.