Young Tigray men flee region fearing forced conscription after peace deal

In Tigray, young men are abandoning the region because they fear forced enlistment as political and military tensions rise. Gebru, 27, was taken to a local administration office with other youths and secured his release only after his parents paid 20,000 birr; he then moved to Addis Ababa. Student entrepreneur Shewit, 24, left Mekelle University and his language-class business for the capital, worried that staying would expose him to recruitment.

Former fighter Gebrehiwot, 28, stays in Tigray but says hearing of ex-combatants being seized again prompted his own relocation within the region. Human Rights Watch reported that authorities have abducted civilians and boys as young as 15 from streets, markets and mining sites, and noted a June proclamation criminalising desertion. The TPLF disputes the allegations, describing them as a mistaken narrative, while analysts say the forced conscription reflects deeper political insecurity following the incomplete implementation of the Pretoria Agreement.