Ethiopia: Dragged to War, Priced for Freedom - Political Economy of Forced Conscription in Ethiopia
Reports indicate a rise in forced conscription in Ethiopia's Oromia region, where families allege that young people are being detained and held for ransom. This practice is occurring amidst broader national security conflicts involving government forces and various regional militias.
Why it matters
The systematic use of forced recruitment and extortion highlights severe human rights concerns and the deteriorating security situation in Ethiopia.
Addis Abeba - Recently, reports of forced conscription have resurfaced across several districts of Oromia, notably within the Sheger City zone that encircles the capital, Addis Abeba. Affected families have come forward to allege that young individuals are being taken involuntarily; in numerous cases, they further claim, monetary payments have subsequently been demanded as a condition for their kin's release--compounding the trauma of enforced disappearance with the indignity of outright extortion.
Discover moreMagazinesNews subscription servicepolitics The reported incidents are happening during a time of increasing security issues in Ethiopia, highlighted by renewed confrontation between the federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), continuing military conflict between government forces and Fano fighters in the Amhara region, and persistent insecurity in parts of Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State.
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