Tigray rebel groups ‘forcibly recruiting boys as young as 15’ as fighting spreads

Renewed fighting between Ethiopia's federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front erupted on September 23, shattering a ceasefire reached in November 2022.

Reports emerging from the conflict indicate that a new alliance of armed groups in Tigray has been forcibly recruiting men and boys, including those as young as 15, according to The Guardian. Civilians are fleeing as men and boys are rounded up on streets, the outlet reports.

The fighting has threatened a fresh humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region. The conflict represents the collapse of the Pretoria peace agreement that had held between the federal government and the TPLF, which governs Tigray.