Addis Ababa, May 14, 2022 (Walta) – The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) is reportedly detaining hundreds of civilians who attempted to flee forced conscription introduced by the rebel group, Sudan Post reported.
Sudan Post got the information about detention of civilian fleeing forced conscription from three women whose relatives are allegedly being detained by the rebel group the Ethiopian government has labeled as terrorist.
The information provided by Sudan Post sources is in line with the Ethiopian federal government intelligence agencies which has made public their intelligence last month. The agencies indicating that the Tigray People’s Liberation Front is preparing for war amid reports of mass mobilization involving top political and military leaders of the rebel movement.
In an e-mail sent to Sudans Post yesterday, three Tigrayans living in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, said seven of their relatives and five of their friends were arrested at Adi Ramet village last Monday by TPLF after trying to flee forced conscription to neighboring Sudan.
“This is to inform the whole world that the war in Tigray region is not only between the political and military leadership of the Tigray region and the federal government of Ethiopia. It has now taken a different turn as the [TPLF] is arresting civilians just because they refused to fight a senseless war,” the three Tigrayans who asked not to be named said to Sudan Post in the email.
“Seven of our family members and five of our friends left Mekelle on Wednesday last week trying to flee the forced recruitment towards Sudan. But unfortunately the Tigray regime under Debretsion arrested them and charged them under military rule for trying to evade what they call ‘national duty’ to protect the Tigray region,” they said.
According to Sudan Post, the three refugees appealed to the international community to pressure the Tigray rebels to accept peace and not to take the Tigray children to conflict where they will die again.
“This is not the first time that civilians were arrested for refusing to join the [TPLF] because hundreds, from our information, are being detained by [TPLF] and therefore we urge the international community to pressure the TPLF not to continue war and accept peace,” they said.