New Facts: Protests Erupt Over Forced Recruitment in Tigray

Thousands marched in Addis Ababa on July 18 in a pro-government rally against what they called forced recruitment of civilians in Tigray by forces aligned with the TPLF. Protesters carried banners urging the federal government to protect people in Tigray and calling to stop trafficking combatants to Sudan. East African affairs minister Getachew Reda, a former Tigrayan rebel leader, joined the crowd.

Allegations driving the rally include abductions and the taking of boys as young as 15, with night house-to-house searches and mass roundups in streets, markets, and at workplaces such as gold-mining sites. Men and boys have been avoiding their homes or leaving Tigray to escape being taken, and families say younger relatives are seized when the sought person cannot be found. The TPLF denies using forced recruitment.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources