As renewed fighting has threatened a fresh humanitarian crisis in the northern region of Ethiopia, reports are emerging that a new alliance of armed groups in Tigray has been forcibly recruiting men and boys to its ranks.
Renewed conflict erupted on 23 September between Ethiopia’s federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which rules the region, shattering the fragile Pretoria peace agreement signed between the two sides in November 2022.
The latest fighting started after months of escalating tensions when the TPLF launched an attack in what it claims was a response to drone strikes by the federal government.
Witnesses who spoke to the Guardian described a broad campaign of forced recruitment in Tigray, targeting men and boys between the ages of 15 and 65.
The Eritrean Defense Forces and Amhara militias, which committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during the 2020-22 conflict, have switched allegiance and are now fighting in support of the TPLF.
Along with this new alliance, testimonies of forced recruitment, child soldiers and fresh humanitarian crises are emerging out of the already battered region.
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