Reports are emerging that a new alliance of armed groups in Tigray, Ethiopia, has been forcibly recruiting men and boys into its ranks. This comes as renewed fighting threatens a fresh humanitarian crisis in the northern region.
The latest conflict erupted on 23 September between Ethiopia’s federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which governs the region. This outbreak shattered the Pretoria peace agreement signed by both sides in November 2022.
Witnesses who spoke to the Guardian described a widespread campaign of forced recruitment in Tigray, targeting men and boys between the ages of 15 and 65. The Eritrean Defence Forces and Amhara militias, previously accused of war crimes, have reportedly switched allegiance and are now supporting the TPLF.
Civilians attempting to flee the region have faced challenges, with Ethiopian Airlines suspending flights to and from Tigray on 23 September after Tigrayan forces reportedly seized Mekelle airport. Bank accounts were also frozen by the federal government for a week, and internet and phone communications were cut off by the TPLF until this week.