Tigray’s Mobilisation Proclamation Raises New Fears for a Region Still Recovering From War
Human Rights Watch has called for the withdrawal of a new Tigray security proclamation, warning that compulsory service, harsh punishments, and restrictions on criticism could deepen trauma in a region still struggling to emerge from conflict.
Human Rights Watch’s call for Tigray’s regional authorities to withdraw a new security and mobilisation proclamation has renewed concern about the region’s fragile peace. The rights organisation argues that the measure gives authorities expansive powers to compel military service and penalise people who avoid recruitment. Its warning places conscription (ምልመላ [milmela] conscription) at the centre of an already tense political situation. It also raises urgent questions about whether civilians can exercise freedom (ነፃነት [nets’anet] freedom) without fear of punishment when they disagree with decisions made by those in power.
Tigray is still living with the consequences of the devastating war that formally ended through the Pretoria Agreement in November 2022. The conflict destroyed homes, disrupted schools and health services, displaced families, and left many people searching for relatives or struggling to rebuild their livelihoods. Any renewed military campaign therefore risks reopening collective wounds that have not yet healed. For many residents, the most immediate concern is security (ደህንነት [dehinnet] security) in their daily lives. The fear of further displacement (መፈናቀል [mefenakel] displacement) is especially powerful in communities that have already experienced repeated loss.
According to Human Rights Watch, the proclamation contains broadly worded provisions that could be used to criminalise evasion of military service and suppress public criticism. The organisation says that the law includes severe prison terms and potential capital punishment for vaguely defined offences, including actions described as threatening peace or assisting an enemy. Such language can weaken legal certainty (ሕጋዊ እርግጠኝነት [higgawi irgitenet] legal certainty) because citizens may not know exactly which conduct could expose them to punishment. It can also undermine due process (የሕግ ሂደት [yehig hidet] due process) if accusations are handled without clear definitions, independent review, or reliable procedural safeguards.
The dispute has emerged amid renewed tension between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and Ethiopia’s federal government. Human Rights Watch says the proclamation was issued after the TPLF forced out regional leaders appointed by the federal authorities, adding another layer of uncertainty to a region already divided by competing centres of authority. This kind of struggle can damage governance (አስተዳደር [astedader] governance) when institutions become contested rather than trusted. It may also reduce public confidence (እምነት [imnet] confidence) in the ability of leaders to protect civilians while resolving political disagreements peacefully.
The African Union has consistently urged the parties to honour the Pretoria Agreement and to use dialogue rather than escalation to address outstanding disputes. That agreement was intended to end large-scale hostilities and create conditions for disarmament, reintegration, humanitarian access, political dialogue, and long-term recovery. Its continued relevance reflects the need for restraint (ራስን መቆጣጠር [rasin meqot’ater] restraint) from all political and military actors. It also highlights the importance of implementation (ተግባራዊነት [tegbarawinet] implementation) because a peace agreement cannot protect people unless its commitments are carried out in practice.
Forced recruitment is particularly troubling in a region where many young people have already lived through war, bereavement, interrupted education, and economic hardship. When people are compelled to join armed forces, their choices about work, family responsibilities, movement, and safety can disappear overnight. The alleged use of door-to-door roundups creates a climate of fear (ፍርሃት [firhat] fear) that can spread far beyond those directly targeted. It may also create new forms of trauma (ስቃይ [siqay] trauma) for parents, children, and communities that are asked to carry the consequences of another possible conflict.
Human Rights Watch has also raised concern about reports that relatives of people who evade recruitment may face punishment. Collective punishment is especially damaging because it turns families into instruments of pressure and creates incentives for people to flee their homes or hide from authorities. Such practices challenge the principle of individual responsibility (የግል ተጠያቂነት [yegil teteyaqinet] individual responsibility), which requires people to be judged for their own actions rather than those of relatives. They can also weaken family protection (የቤተሰብ ጥበቃ [yebeteseb tibeka] family protection) at a time when families are already trying to recover from years of instability.
The region’s civilians should not be treated as a reserve of manpower for political or military competition. Tigray needs education, healthcare, food systems, employment, reconstruction, and safe access to humanitarian assistance more urgently than it needs policies that drive people into hiding or flight. Sustainable recovery depends on reconstruction (መልሶ ግንባታ [melso gimbata] reconstruction) that reaches ordinary households, not only government institutions. It also requires human dignity (ሰብአዊ ክብር [seb’awi kibir] human dignity) to remain central whenever security policies affect civilians.
The risks extend beyond Tigray itself. Ethiopia is facing armed conflict and serious insecurity in several regions, while tensions involving neighbouring states and unresolved internal grievances continue to make the Horn of Africa vulnerable to escalation. A new confrontation in Tigray could have consequences for humanitarian operations, regional trade, refugee movements, and wider diplomatic relations. Preventing this outcome requires political dialogue (ውይይት [wiyiyit] dialogue) that includes more than senior officials. It also requires mediation (ሽምግልና [shimigilinna] mediation) capable of addressing the concerns of communities, civil society, displaced people, and survivors of past abuses.
Accountability will be essential if Tigray is to avoid repeating the patterns that led to previous violence. Human-rights concerns cannot be dismissed as inconvenient criticism whenever authorities face security threats. States and regional administrations have legitimate duties to protect civilians, but those duties must be exercised through law, proportionate measures, and transparent institutions. Strong oversight (ቁጥጥር [quṭṭiṭir] oversight) can help prevent emergency powers from becoming permanent tools of repression. Meaningful accountability (ተጠያቂነት [teteyaqinet] accountability) can also reassure citizens that abuses will be investigated rather than ignored.
International actors have an important but limited role. The African Union, the United States, European partners, the United Nations, and humanitarian organisations can press for compliance with the Pretoria Agreement, monitor risks, support mediation, and insist on the protection of civilians. However, lasting peace cannot be imposed from outside. It depends on domestic ownership (ባለቤትነት [balebetinet] ownership) of a political settlement that people consider credible. It also depends on cooperation (ትብብር [tibibir] cooperation) between regional and federal institutions that have spent years locked in rivalry and mistrust.
Tigray’s future should not be defined by another cycle of mobilisation, repression, and armed confrontation. People who survived a devastating war deserve institutions that protect them, allow criticism, and create genuine opportunities to rebuild their lives. The withdrawal or revision of abusive provisions would be an important step toward reconciliation (እርቅ [erq] reconciliation) and a more stable political environment. More broadly, Ethiopia needs a renewed commitment to peacebuilding (የሰላም ግንባታ [yeselam gimbata] peacebuilding) that values civilian safety, lawful institutions, and dialogue over coercion.
Key Amharic Vocabulary
ምልመላ [milmela] conscription
ነፃነት [nets’anet] freedom
ደህንነት [dehinnet] security
መፈናቀል [mefenakel] displacement
ሕጋዊ እርግጠኝነት [higgawi irgitenet] legal certainty
የሕግ ሂደት [yehig hidet] due process
አስተዳደር [astedader] governance
እምነት [imnet] confidence
ራስን መቆጣጠር [rasin meqot’ater] restraint
ተግባራዊነት [tegbarawinet] implementation
ፍርሃት [firhat] fear
ስቃይ [siqay] trauma
የግል ተጠያቂነት [yegil teteyaqinet] individual responsibility
የቤተሰብ ጥበቃ [yebeteseb tibeka] family protection
መልሶ ግንባታ [melso gimbata] reconstruction
ሰብአዊ ክብር [seb’awi kibir] human dignity
ውይይት [wiyiyit] dialogue
ሽምግልና [shimigilinna] mediation
ቁጥጥር [quṭṭiṭir] oversight
ተጠያቂነት [teteyaqinet] accountability
ባለቤትነት [balebetinet] ownership
ትብብር [tibibir] cooperation
እርቅ [erq] reconciliation
የሰላም ግንባታ [yeselam gimbata] peacebuilding
