In recent weeks it has been reported that a rebel group, known as the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has been forcing civilians to join their fight, where children and adults alike are physically threatened, and their relatives put into jail when not obliging with the army’s wishes. Captured fighters and residents are now speaking out against the inhumane and unjust treatment the Tigray people are currently enduring at the hands of the TPLF.
Ethiopia’s civil war erupted in late 2020 when the government sent soldiers into the region in order to depose the Tigray region’s governing TPLF party, justifying these actions as a response to rebel attacks on army camps. Since then, the war has resulted in thousands of civilians being killed and many others having to experience famine, displacement, and a devastating amount of destroyed infrastructure. The United Nations believes that more than 9 million people require food aid. As the war continues to wreak havoc on its people, fewer and fewer Tigrayans are volunteering to fight for the TPLF, as more become reluctant to join the conflict due to a ceasefire in March 2022.
As documented by Reuters, Kindeya Gebrehiwot, from the Tigray external relations office, said, “the allegations of forced recruitment are not accurate,” and added, “Nevertheless, there were some irregularities in approaches at lower levels of the government. These irregularities are rare and sporadic, not systemic.” Gebrehiwot admitted that a few officials have detained family and loved ones in order to manipulate and coerce Tigrayans into enlisting in the war — clarifying further that these incidents are rare and all involved in this corrupt behavior were punished. However, Ethiopian government spokesperson Legesse Tulu, detailed that government officials had received a myriad of reports regarding forced recruitment. These findings can also be supported by alleged leaflets that were distributed in January, reiterating the notion that residents should not “hide” from Tigray’s regional government or army and, instead, must “contribute to [their] motherland.” Furthermore, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission also has noted that they have received credible reports of the imprisonment of parents who refused to give up their children to conscription. This new effort to enforce enlistment took precedence late last year. However, it has now intensified to a new echelon, manifesting in the form of mass arrests and detainment of family members to compel civilians to join.
It is crucial that peace talks occur between the two sides, ultimately aiding in the culmination of a prosperous middle ground being found and cessation of destruction within the nation. Having undergone an overwhelming amount of atrocities that continue to cast anguish across the region, this war must come to an end through peaceful negotiations with a third party or international organization present to move proceedings along in an efficient and fair manner. Therefore, a peaceful mode of communication and discussion between Ethiopia’s federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front is necessary. This will allow the opportunity to find a peaceful resolution so that the nation can heal and thrive. Most importantly, the people of Ethiopia and Tigray can no longer be in imminent danger, have a place to call home, and finally live without fear.
