Human Rights Watch now wants an urgent United Nations-backed inquiry into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Ethiopian region of Tigray.
The lobby group accuses Ethiopian and Eritrean forces of indiscriminately shelling the city of Axum in November.
Echoing a report last week by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch says the Eritreans later massacred an estimated 200 civilians.
Eritrea has previously dismissed the allegations. Ethiopia’s Human Rights Commissions says they should be taken seriously.
The UN Security Council failed to agree on a joint statement on the conflict in Tigray.
Reports say that Eritrean troops fighting in Ethiopia’s northern region of Tigray killed hundreds of people in Aksum mainly over two days in November.
Amnesty International says in a report added that the mass killings are said to have happened on 28 and 29 November 2020 and may amount to a crime against humanit.
Ethiopia’s government promised a joint investigation with international actors. While it cast questions on Amnesty’s methodology, it admitted “serious issues that should be of great concern” were raised.