ADDIS ABABA — Renewed conflict erupted in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region on Sept. 23, shattering a fragile peace agreement signed in Pretoria in November 2022. The fighting involves Ethiopia's federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front, which governs the region.
Reports indicate a coalition of armed groups in Tigray is forcibly recruiting men and boys. The alliance includes the Eritrean Defence Forces and Amhara militias, both accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the 2020-22 conflict. These forces are now fighting in support of the TPLF. Witnesses describe forced recruitment targeting males between 15 and 65 across the region.
The TPLF said its latest attack was a response to federal drone strikes, escalating months of mounting tension.
Gezu, 34, fought with Tigrayan forces in the 2020-22 war. After recent fighting began, the TPLF called on him to rejoin. "I responded to them to kill me rather than ever force me back to the horrors of the battlefield," he said.
When people refused to volunteer and began fleeing to Addis Ababa, TPLF forces started rounding up individuals from streets, Gezu said. He said he did not want to leave his hometown until conditions deteriorated.
Solomon, 52, fled to Addis Ababa and said TPLF armed groups targeted those between 15 and 40 for recruitment. He witnessed gunmen rounding up boys as young as 15 and 16 from streets and public transportation. Officers disregarded medical certificates presented by parents, he said, stating they would forcefully recruit anyone "whose hands, eyes and feet work."
Ephrem, 40, a father of three, had planned to leave weeks before the fresh fighting, fearing conscription. His wife and children grow anxious whenever he leaves the house, he said, fearing he will be rounded up.
The renewed conflict has stranded many civilians. On Sept. 23, Ethiopian Airlines suspended all flights to and from Tigray after Tigrayan forces seized the airport in Mekelle, the capital. Many Tigrayans with means to leave had already been heading to Addis Ababa in recent months, anticipating a return to war.
