Ethiopia: Ehrco Demands Halt to Forced Conscription in Tigray

The Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) issued an urgent appeal on July 12, 2026, demanding an immediate end to systemic rights violations as a mandatory military recruitment drive sweeps across the northern Tigray region.

The Tigray regional council, an entity dissolved under the 2022 Pretoria peace deal and reinstated unilaterally earlier this year, passed a drastic decree on June 24, 2026.

The new law mandates compulsory military service and enforces the death penalty for those who object.

Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn

EHRCO confirmed that local authorities are using the decree to conduct forced roundups, noting that sweeps are targeting "youth and children whose age is not even full 18 years."

From The Reporter Magazine

Ethiopia at the Frontline of Global Debt Published on 2026-06-29 By Mahlet Mehdi

After the Birr Float, Ethiopia Must Rebuild Its External Financing Model Published on 2026-07-02 By Samson Berhane

25-Year Sentences & Retroactive Laws: Controversial Draft Law Sparks Fears of Growing Authoritarianism in Tigray Published on 2026-06-21 By Yared Nigussie

Zero Tariffs, High Hurdles Published on 2026-06-04 By Yared Nigussie

The developments come amid escalating political and military friction between the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the federal government.

EHRCO observed that the threat of a returning war is triggering widespread panic, forcing "a high number of residents and youth to leave their area and migrate."

EHRCO's warning aligns with mounting apprehension from the international community, including global human rights watchdogs and foreign governments, who have expressed deep concern over the region's coercive mobilization.

From The Reporter Magazine

From Capital Projects to Recurrent Spending Published on 2026-07-02 By Yared Nigussie

"The Violence is more Visible, more Chaotic, and Harder for the International Community to Ignore," ECLJ. Published on 2026-07-01 By Bewket Abebe

Ethiopia's Forgotten Human Capital Crisis: Skill Gaps That Begin Long Before School Published on 2026-07-05 By Yibel Kassa

Regional States, Cities and Woredas as Shareholders in Technology Startups and Private Companies Published on 2026-06-03 By Brook Lakew (PhD)

In its statement, EHRCO said that forced conscription directly violates the constitution and international treaties like the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters

Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox

To avert a major crisis, the body implored both the federal government and the TPLF to de-escalate and "facilitate a condition where it is resolved in a peaceful way by talking around a table."

"The FDRE government must fulfill its constitutional obligation to maintain the peace and security of citizens of the Tigray region," reads the statement.