Tigray rebels accused of forced child conscription amid humanitarian crisis

Fighting has resumed in northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region, triggering warnings of a new humanitarian crisis. Reports indicate a widespread campaign of forced conscription targeting men and boys to bolster a new alliance of armed groups in the area.

Collapse of the Pretoria peace agreement

Clashes erupted on September 23 between the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which governs the region. This violence led to the breakdown of the fragile Pretoria peace accord signed by both sides in November 2022.

The renewed combat followed months of escalating tensions. The TPLF launched an offensive it described as a response to drone strikes carried out by the federal government.

Eritrean forces shift alliances

Eyewitnesses told The Guardian that a large-scale forced recruitment drive is underway in Tigray. The campaign targets males aged 15 to 65. Concurrently, Eritrean Defense Forces and Amhara militias have joined the fighting in support of the TPLF. These groups had previously fought against the TPLF during the 2020-2022 conflict.

Testimonies highlight the emergence of forced conscription and child recruitment alongside new humanitarian crises in a region still suffering from the aftermath of the previous war.

Accounts of street abductions

Gizo, a 34-year-old who fought alongside Tigrayan forces in the 2020-2022 war, stated he refused to rejoin the fight after losing several friends in the earlier conflict. He reported receiving a call from TPLF authorities to join the armed group after hostilities began. When insufficient volunteers appeared, Gizo said, operations started collecting people from the streets.

Suleiman, a 52-year-old man who fled to Addis Ababa, identified the primary target age range as 15 to 40. He witnessed TPLF fighters rounding up individuals, some as young as 15 or 16, at gunpoint from public transport areas and streets. Suleiman noted that parents attempted to save their children by presenting medical certificates, but officers ignored illnesses, forcibly recruiting anyone capable of using their hands, eyes, and feet.

Financial restrictions and communication blackouts

Afriom, a 40-year-old father of three, said he feared mandatory conscription and planned to leave the region weeks before the fighting resumed. His wife and children lived in fear of his arrest from the street. Afriom indicated that wealthy individuals could protect themselves and their families from recruitment by bribing officers.

Tigray experienced a siege-like situation last week when the federal government unexpectedly froze citizens' bank accounts, preventing withdrawals. Banks reopened later with a daily withdrawal limit of 2,000 birr, approximately £9, leading to long queues. Negus, an elderly resident of Mekelle, stated that residents do not know how long the siege and war will continue. He noted the daily allowance barely covers rising food prices.

Negus added that leaving the region has become impossible, and relatives abroad cannot send money or medicine. Internet and telephone services were cut off by order of the TPLF until this week, leaving families desperate for news about their loved ones.