Young men flee Tigray amid fears of forced recruitment
Summary
Young men in Tigray, Ethiopia, are leaving the region because they fear being forced to join the military. Although a peace agreement ended fighting in 2022, ongoing tensions and reports of forced recruitment are causing concern among the people there.Key Facts
- Young men like Gebru and Shewit say they fled Tigray to avoid forced recruitment into military fighting.
- Gebru’s parents paid 20,000 Ethiopian birr (about $123) to secure his release from forced recruitment.
- The Pretoria Agreement of November 2022 officially ended the war between Ethiopia’s federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
- Despite the peace deal, issues like disputed land, displaced people, and disarmament are not yet solved.
- Human Rights Watch reported that since April, Tigrayan forces have forcibly recruited civilians, including boys as young as 15.
- Both the Ethiopian federal government and the TPLF accuse each other of military mobilization and tensions remain high.
- Some young men who fought in the previous war fear going back to the battlefield because they have seen its hardships.
- Many young men prefer to leave their homes to avoid being forced into fighting again.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
