Witnesses describe a broad campaign of forced recruitment in Tigray, targeting men and boys between the ages of 15 and 65 — according to The Guardian.

Renewed conflict erupted on September 23 between Ethiopia’s federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), breaking the November 2022 Pretoria agreement. Human Rights Watch says Tigray authorities have been abducting and unlawfully recruiting civilians, including children as young as 15, since at least April 2026.