Ethiopians Protest Alleged Forced Recruitment in Tigray

Thousands of Ethiopians marched through the capital, Addis Ababa, to protest allegations of forced recruitment in the Tigray region, where tensions continue to rise amid fears of renewed conflict.

The demonstrations followed reports from Human Rights Watch (HRW), which accused authorities in Tigray of forcibly recruiting civilians, including children as young as 15, into regional armed forces.

According to HRW, security personnel have allegedly carried out nighttime raids, house-to-house searches and arrests at workplaces, including gold-mining sites, to recruit men and boys into the Tigray Defence Forces (TDF).

The rights organisation said the recruitment campaign has intensified in recent months, creating widespread fear across the region.

“The Tigrayan authorities’ campaign to forcibly recruit men and boys into their forces is creating a climate of fear throughout the region,” said Laetitia Bader, Deputy Africa Director at Human Rights Watch.

The Tigray region was the centre of a devastating civil war between Ethiopia’s federal government and Tigrayan forces from 2020 to 2022. Although a peace agreement ended the fighting, growing political and military tensions have raised concerns that violence could erupt again.

Human Rights Watch said authorities have reportedly conducted mass roundups in streets, markets and workplaces while relying on neighbourhood informants to identify potential recruits.

Several witnesses described being taken against their will.

One former fighter told HRW that armed men in TDF uniforms arrived at his home before taking him and several others, including teenagers, to a local police station.

Another witness from Adi Gudem claimed police officers and soldiers detained workers and farmers during a morning operation. According to the witness, one man who attempted to escape was severely beaten after resisting arrest.

Human Rights First-Ethiopia has also previously reported that forced military recruitment has been taking place across much of the Tigray region.

Local authorities have encouraged former soldiers to rejoin the armed forces, while a proclamation issued in June made military service compulsory under certain conditions.

However, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the region’s dominant political party, has denied allegations that it is carrying out forced recruitment.

Despite these denials, many residents told human rights investigators they are living in fear.

Some said they now sleep in different locations each night or have fled Tigray entirely to avoid being recruited.

One resident told HRW that authorities allegedly target younger relatives if they cannot find the person they are looking for.

The latest allegations have renewed concerns about human rights and security in northern Ethiopia, where the scars of the previous conflict remain fresh.

As tensions continue between the Tigray regional administration and Ethiopia’s federal government, rights organisations are calling for independent investigations into the allegations and stronger protections for civilians, especially children.