AddisStandard reported that, it has received reports claiming that Oromia regional government was
conscripting youth in different parts of the region. Simultaneously,
contradicting reports addressing the nature of the recruitment of Oromo youth
into Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) surfaced over last week. The
Oromia regional government claimed that the process was voluntary while the
opposition painted the process as conscription.
Reports
suggested that the process is ongoing since Wednesday, July 21, 2021, while
images of Oromo youth being loaded into busses and being sent to temporary
training camps before being sent to the battlefront in the border area between
Amhara and Tigray regions flooded social media platforms over the weekend. On
its part, Oromia regional state through its broadcast network Oromia
Broadcasting Network (OBN) issued statements confirming the recruitment of
youth in different zones of the region into the ENDF and defended the process
arguing that it was voluntary in nature. Corresponding statements confirmed
recruitment in Borana, West Guji, Illubabor and West Shewa zones in addition to
reports of conscription of youth in the Special zone surrounding Finfinne,
Bale, East Bale, West Arsi zones of the region.
“I
KNOW FOR A FACT THAT AT LEAST ONE RECRUIT IS 17 YEARS OLD. I LATER CONFIRMED
FROM HIS FAMILY THAT HE WAS INDEED UNDERAGE.”
However, sources who spoke to Addis Standard dispute the government depiction of the
nature of recruitment as voluntary and argue that it is conscription. In
Shashemene, a source who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal
confirmed to Addis Standard and said, “Young men are being rounded up and being
taken to Rift Valley hotel and the crying mothers were denied access to their
children.” A medical doctor who oversaw the medical check up of some of the
recruits also confirmed the occurrence of the matter. The MD who asked to
remain anonymous for fear of reprisal added, “I know for a fact that at least
one recruit is 17 years old. I later confirmed from his family that he was
indeed underage.”
Youth
in Bale and East Bale zones were not spared from conscription. Sources on the
ground confirmed to Addis Standard the forced nature of the recruitment
process. A community leader in Bale-Robe town who asked to remain anonymous
told Addis Standard, “They are rounding up youth from nearby towns and
gathering them in the city. City youth are not spared either.” When asked about
the numbers he said, “The numbers are huge, why they are doing it and why at
this time I don’t know.” The community leader explained that the mechanisms in
which the recruitment process is being carried can only amount to conscription
and argued that underage teens might fall victim to the process.
“THEY
ARE ROUNDING UP YOUTH FROM NEARBY TOWNS AND GATHERING THEM IN THE CITY. CITY
YOUTH ARE NOT SPARED EITHER.”
In
Burayu, a youth who was first rounded up on Wednesday and released later on
Friday told Addis Standard, “We were in a pool house when they (Burayu town
police) came and rounded everyone up,” he continued, “We were gathered in the
Burayu Police detention center in three rooms; our room held upto 40
individuals. They came two days later and released those of us who were at the
pool house only while leaving the rest.” The youth recalled instances of
physical abuse he witnessed and explained that it was used on reluctant youth.
He also confirmed that underage children were held in the detention center with
him.
OLF
IN ITS STATEMENT ACCUSED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF USING CHILDREN AS SOLDIERS
TO ADVANCE A FAILED AGENDA.
Moreover,
the Oromo Liberation Front accused the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed
of waging a war against the Oromo youth. It said in a statement it released on
Friday July 23, 2021, “According to tangible information we received from
different parts of the country, the PP group is forcing most underaged children
below 15 years old for military training and preparing them for war. Most of
the children they are conscripting are from poor sectors of our society who are
shoe polishers, daily laborers and those looking for manual labor work to earn
their daily bread. They forcefully recruit these children by giving them false
and misleading information promising them a job. As we speak the PP armed
forces are conscripting several children from Ambo prison, Dalattii (Sabbata)
prison, Sululta, Burayu and different locations including from streets and
individual homes.” The opposition party in its statement accused the federal
government of using children as soldiers to advance a failed agenda.
Furthermore,
the OLF, while condemning what it described as ‘child conscription’, urged
Oromo citizens and citizens of Ethiopia saying, “We urge citizens of Oromia and
other Ethiopian peoples to organize themselves, strengthen their unity and
defend the children from this evil act of the PP ruling group. Particularly, we
ask the political parties’ structure, Oromo Youth (Qerroo/Qarree) structure,
and the administration of the Oromia Regional National Transitional Government
(ORNTG) to work hard to protect these children. We also appeal to the
international communities to do their best in their capacities to investigate
and prosecute those who recruit and use children for war as this is now
recognized as a war under international laws.”
These
reports come as escalation from both sides (Amhara regional state and forces
loyal to Tigray People’s Liberation Front) of the conflict resulted in military
buildup along the two regions’ borders, threatening a possibility of a full
blown civil war. They also come in the backdrop of recent calls to arms by the
Amhara regional state, where it urged all nations, nationalities and peoples of
Ethiopia to come to the side of the Amhara people, arguing that the threat
posed by TPLF was an existential threat. Afar regional state,where the conflict
spread last week, echoed similar calls, emphasizing the dangers of allowing the
TPLF who it called ‘terrorists’ to carry on with its destructive agenda.
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