Borkena News Desk
Toronto, Canada — Forced military conscription that the TPLF is undertaking in the Tigray region continues to face resistance.
According to BBC Amharic, prominent Tigray politicians, including former Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Tsadkan Gebretensae and Getachew Reda, among others, have organized a protest in Addis Ababa. The protest will take place on Saturday.
The Tigray Peace and Change Council, established in May this year, is behind the protest. General Tsadkan Gebretensae reportedly leads several committees within the council.
Semret Party, Party Woledo Tigray, Arena Tigray for Democracy and Sovereignty, and Enderta Seba political parties are also part of the protest.
Protesters will demand that the Federal government “dispose of its responsibility” regarding the situation in Tigray. They will also oppose the ongoing forceful military conscription, which critics say the TPLF is undertaking as it prepares to launch another war.
The Addis Ababa City Administration has reportedly granted permission for the protest, which will take place at Meskel Square. Notably, the administration had denied permission when other opposition leaders in the capital planned to stage a peaceful demonstration calling for an end to war in all parts of Ethiopia.
Many Tigray politicians accuse the TPLF of allying with “Shabia,” a reference to the Eritrean government, and forcing youth in the region into military training on a “daily basis.”
Apart from Tigray opposition parties, human rights organizations, including the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and Human Rights Watch, have opposed compulsory military conscription. They have said that the practice is mostly affecting youth under the age of 18.
The TPLF’s military conscription was approved by the regional council, which the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) considers illegal. The council was dissolved as part of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA), which ended the 2020–2022 war.
Ethnic Tigreans in Addis Ababa and surrounding areas are expected to take part in the protest. Organizers say the Federal government should not remain silent as conditions in the region continue to worsen.
The TPLF has also reportedly imposed restrictions on press freedom in the region. A report that emerged from Tigray on Friday indicated that Lieutenant General Tadesse Worede, the Interim President of Tigray, had been placed under house arrest after being forcibly removed from power.
When the U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia visited the region this week, Tadesse Worede was reportedly not allowed to meet with him in person. The two reportedly held a 20-minute telephone conversation instead.
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All peace mongering citizens should join our brothers and sisters from Tigray at this planned rally for peace. Those noble people of Tigray have been subjected to deadly violence and utter destruction since 1975. Deacons of Marx/Lenin/Mao have been riding on their backs for more than 5 decades now. Enough is enough.