ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, on Saturday in a pro-government rally condemning an alleged forced recruitment campaign in the northern Tigray region, amid growing concerns over renewed instability nearly four years after the end of the country’s devastating civil war.
Protesters accused authorities aligned with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) of forcibly recruiting young men and sending some across the border into neighbouring Sudan, allegations that the TPLF has not publicly responded to.
“The Ethiopian government must fulfil its duty to protect the people of Tigray,” read one banner carried by demonstrators.
Another banner declared: “Stop trafficking combatants to Sudan!”
The rally followed reports by international media and human rights organisations alleging that security forces aligned with the TPLF have intensified forced recruitment efforts in the region.
In June, AFP reported that several young people had fled their homes or escaped from military training camps to avoid compulsory recruitment. Earlier this month, Human Rights Watch said security forces linked to the TPLF were forcibly recruiting young men, including boys as young as 15.
The Ethiopian federal government and some local media have also accused the TPLF of transporting recruits to Sudan through neighbouring Eritrea. However, no publicly available evidence has been presented to substantiate the allegation.
Among those attending the rally was former Tigrayan rebel leader Getachew Reda, who now serves in Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration as Minister for East African Affairs following his split with the TPLF leadership.
Protester Bahlbi Tsegaye, 42, accused the TPLF of targeting young people in the region.
“The TPLF is forcibly rounding up the youth of Tigray, selling them to neighbouring Sudan through Eritrea, and exposing them to war,” he said.
Fragile peace under renewed strain
The demonstrations come against the backdrop of rising tensions between Ethiopia’s federal government and the TPLF despite the Pretoria Peace Agreement signed in November 2022, which formally ended the two-year conflict in Tigray.
The war, one of Africa’s deadliest in recent history, claimed an estimated 600,000 lives, according to African Union estimates, and displaced millions while devastating infrastructure across northern Ethiopia.
Although the peace agreement ended large-scale hostilities, several key provisions—including the full disarmament of armed groups and restoration of governance arrangements—have faced implementation challenges.
Security sources have reported increased troop deployments around Tigray in recent months, with both the federal government and TPLF accusing each other of preparing for another military confrontation.
Relations between Ethiopia and neighbouring Sudan have also deteriorated over border disputes and wider regional security concerns, adding another layer of complexity to an already fragile security environment.
The latest allegations of forced recruitment and the public demonstrations in Addis Ababa underscore the persistent mistrust between Ethiopia’s federal authorities and Tigray’s leadership, raising fresh concerns over the durability of the 2022 peace accord and the prospects for lasting stability in northern Ethiopia.