Renewed fighting in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region has escalated into a fresh humanitarian crisis, as the federal government clashes with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). The conflict resumed on 23 September after the TPLF launched an attack in response to alleged drone strikes by the national army, breaking the fragile Pretoria peace agreement signed in November 2022.
The new hostilities have seen the TPLF forge an unexpected alliance with the Eritrean Defence Forces and Amhara militias, groups that previously committed war crimes during the 2020‑22 conflict. Together, they have intensified a campaign of forced recruitment, targeting men and boys between 15 and 65 years old and reportedly conscripting children as young as 15.
Witnesses describe a systematic roundup of civilians from streets and public transport hubs, with officers ignoring medical certificates and refusing to release those deemed fit for service. One 52‑year‑old man recounted seeing 15‑ and 16‑year‑olds seized at gunpoint, while a 40‑year‑old father said families who could afford bribes managed to protect their children from conscription.
The fighting has also triggered a siege of the Tigray capital, Mekelle. Bank accounts were frozen, then reopened with a daily withdrawal limit of 2,000 birr, barely enough to cover rising food prices. Internet and phone services were cut until this week, and Ethiopian Airlines halted flights after the TPLF seized the regional airport. Many residents have been stranded, unable to leave or receive aid.
The broader conflict has already claimed between 300,000 and 800,000 civilian lives, according to the British government. The United Nations’ International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia has documented war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Ethiopian army, Eritrean forces, and Amhara “fano” militias, while Amnesty International has also accused Tigrayan forces of atrocities during the war.
