Ethiopia: Forced Conscription Resurfaces Across Oromia As Ethiopia Continues to Grapple With Security Crises
[Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- Reports of forced conscription are resurfacing in several parts of Oromia, including the Sheger City area surrounding the capital Addis Abeba, with families alleging that young people have been taken against their will and, in some cases, that money has subsequently been demanded for their release.
Ethiopia is witnessing a resurgence of forced conscription in the Oromia region, with families reporting young people being taken against their will and in some cases, money demanded for their release. The incidents, as reported by Addis Standard, have occurred in East Hararghe and East Bale zones, amid heightened security tensions across Ethiopia.
These tensions include conflicts between federal authorities and Tigray People's Liberation Front forces in Amhara, as well as insecurity in Benishangul-Gumuz. The exact nature of those taken remains unclear, whether into the Ethiopian National Defense Force, regional militias, or other armed groups. One businessman from Mekenisa Kebele in East Hararghe reported his brother missing for three days while traveling to Dire Dawa, only to be told he was conscripted and that a ransom of 500,000 birr was required for his release.
Meanwhile, a mother from Laga Hidha Woreda in East Bale shared her son was forcibly taken while visiting relatives in Assasa, Arsi Zone. Both cases underscore a pattern of coercive recruitment and arbitrary detention in Oromia, with the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission documenting similar practices in Adama, Bishoftu, Jimma, Shashamene, and other regions.
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