Witnesses report forced recruitment of boys as young as 15 in Tigray — The Guardian
In Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, the armed Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) is forcibly recruiting men and boys, including 15-year-olds, according to sources of The Guardian.
Fighting between Ethiopia’s federal government and the TPLF, which controls the region, resumed on September 23, undermining the fragile Pretoria peace agreement concluded by the sides in November 2022. According to the TPLF, the new escalation began after its attack in response to federal government drone strikes.
Accounts of recruitment on the streets
A 34-year-old man who fought on the side of Tigrayan forces during the 2020–2022 war said he refused to rejoin the military after receiving a call from TPLF representatives. According to him, when there were not enough volunteers, people began to be taken directly from the streets.
Another source, aged 52, told the outlet that people between the ages of 15 and 40 are the main targets. He claims to have seen armed TPLF representatives take away 15- and 16-year-old teenagers at gunpoint on streets and near public transport stops. Another Tigray resident said that families with money try to avoid forced recruitment through bribes.
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Restrictions on civilians
After Tigrayan forces seized the airport in Mekelle on September 23, Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to and from the region. Ethiopian forces later regained control of the airport. In recent months, Tigray residents who were able to leave had been heading to the capital, Addis Ababa, over fears of a new conflict.
According to the outlet, the federal government froze the bank accounts of the region’s residents, preventing them from withdrawing funds. Banks later resumed operations but set a daily cash withdrawal limit of 2,000 birr. Internet and telephone communications in Tigray were also cut off until this week by order of the TPLF.
The Ethiopian government is accused of indiscriminate drone strikes. At the same time, there were reports of attacks by opposition forces near Addis Ababa. The names of The Guardian’s sources were changed for security reasons.
