World
Tigray Conflict Intensifies as New Alliance Forces Forced Recruitment of Men and Boys
Renewed fighting in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region has escalated into a fresh humanitarian crisis. On 23 September, hostilities erupted between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), ending the fragile Pretoria peace agreement signed in November 2022. The TPLF launched an attack, claiming it was a response to drone strikes by the federal forces. Witnesses report a widespread campaign of forced recruitment targeting men and boys aged 15 to 65. The Eritrean Defence Forces and Amhara militias, previously accused of war crimes during the 2020‑22 conflict, have now joined the TPLF. Testimonies describe child soldiers and new recruitment drives. Gezu, 34, a former Tigrayan combatant who survived the 2020‑22 war, said he refused to re‑join the fighting. When the TPLF began rounding up people from the streets, he chose to stay in his hometown until conditions worsened. In the weeks before the outbreak, many Tigrayans with means fled to Addis Ababa, fearing war. On 23 September, Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to and from Tigray after Tigrayan forces seized the Mekelle airport. Solomon, 52, who escaped to Addis Ababa, said the TPLF targets those 15 to 40 years old, forcibly recruiting as young as 15 and 16 from streets and transport hubs. He noted that medical certificates were ignored and anyone physically capable was conscripted. Ephrem, 40, a father of three, feared conscription and had planned to leave weeks before the fighting resumed. He observed that wealth could buy protection through bribery, but many still feared forced recruitment. The region has been under siege for a week, with the federal government freezing citizens’ bank accounts. Banks reopened with a daily withdrawal limit of 2,000 birr (£9), causing long queues. Negus, an elderly man in Mekelle, expressed uncertainty about how long the siege would last and how the withdrawal limit could cover rising food prices. Internet and phone services were cut by the TPLF until this week, leaving families without news. The Ethiopian government has been accused of indiscriminate drone strikes, and opposition forces have reportedly approached Addis Ababa. British government estimates place civilian deaths in the Tigray conflict between 300,000 and 800,000. The Ethiopian army, Eritrean forces, and Amhara nationalist “fano” militias have previously committed atrocities against the Tigrayan population, amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to the UN International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia. Tigrayan forces were also accused of atrocities in an Amnesty report. *Names have been changed to protect identities.