Recently, I found a document published by the hardline faction, the rump of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a belligerent group that removed the interim government established under the Pretoria Peace Accord and restored the pre-war administration. The document is titled:
“ነጋሪት ጋዜጣ ብሄራዊ ክልላዊ መንግስቲ ትግራይ ብሓልዮት ቤት ምኽሪ ብሄራዊ ክልላዊ መንግስቲ ትግራይ ዜወፅአ”, literally translated as “Negarit Gazette of the National Regional Government of Tigray, published under the auspices of the Council of the National Regional Government of Tigray.”
It is an extremely inhumane decree, intended solely to mobilize the population for an all-out war and to enforce mass compulsory militia recruitment across all parts of the region by the TPLF. It is an extremely inhuman decree intended solely to mobilize for an all-out war and to enforce mass forced recruitment into the militia across all parts of the region by the TPLF. It was promulgated by a bankrupt political faction headed by Debretsion Gebremichael to legalize all possible means of compelling people from all walks of life in the Tigray Regional State to join the militia, abandoning their personal plans and life goals.
The document is structured into six major chapters and 80 articles addressing various issues, ranging from the General Provisions (ሓፈሻዊ ድንጋገታት) to detailed implementation plans, as well as miscellaneous provisions (ዝተፈላለዩ ድንጋጋት) related to the forced militia mobilization order. Under the general provisions of the decree, Article 1 deals with its nomenclature and is framed around the pretext of the existence and security of the people of Tigray:
“እዚ ኣዋጅ “ህላውን ደሕንነተን ህዝቢ ትግራይ ንምውሓስ ዝወፅአ ኣዋጅ ብሄራዊ ክልላዊ መንግስቲ ትግራይ ቁፅሪ —/2018 ዓ/ም”, directly translated as “This decree is entitled, Proclamation No. —/2018, of the National Regional Government of Tigray for existence and security of the people of Tigray.”
Through this decree, forced conscription is proclaimed in the region, and its implementation is set out in detail throughout the document. Neither children from elementary schools nor helpless elders from villages are exempted; all are ordered to join the TPLF’s militia. Anyone who thinks of lagging behind this decree faces severe consequences ranging up to capital punishment. This is clearly stated under Article 5, Sub-Article 1 of the document as follows:
“ዝኾነ ዕዴሚኡን ጥዕንኡን ዜፈቕደሉ ወዲ ትግራይ ህላወ፣ ዴሕንነትን ልኡላውነትን ህዜቢ ትግራይ ንምኽባር ብመንግስቲ ትግራይ ንዝቐርበሉ ፃውዒት መኸተ ተቐቢሉ ክሳተፍ ብሄራዊ ግቡእ ኣለዎ”, directly translated as: “Any son of Tigray whose age and health permit has a national duty to respond to and participate in calls for struggle issued by the Tigray government to protect the existence, security, and sovereignty of the people of Tigray.”
Elderly women and even those with physical impairments are not excluded; they are also subject to this arbitrary decree. They are particularly ordered to organize logistics and provide financial support by any available means and under whatever circumstances. Failure to abide by the decree may result in severe punishment, including execution in broad daylight. As per Article 5, Sub-Article 2, this forced conscription is implemented under the direct auspices of the so-called President, Debretsion Gebremichael, and is stated as follows:
“ብመሰረት እዚ ኣዋጅ ፃውዒት ብሄራዊ መኸተ ንህልውና፣ ዴሕንነትን ልኡላውነትን ህዝቢ ትግራይ ብፕረዚደንተ ዝግለፅ ኮይኑ ዝርዝሩ ቤት ምኽሪ ፈፃሚ ስራሕ ብዘውፅኦ ደንቢ ይውሰን።”, meaning: “According to the decree, the call for the national struggle for the existence, security, and sovereignty of the people of Tigray shall be declared by the President and determined by regulations issued by the Executive Council.”
The message is clear: both the process and its intended outcome are centered on advancing the interests of the hardline faction of the rump TPLF, especially Debretsion Gebremichael and his close associates. Indeed, it is evident that the scale of this forced conscription and the overall situation are controlled by the rump TPLF, particularly Debretsion and his associates.
The Decree Fit for Purpose
Through this decree, the rump TPLF has strictly ordered the community to prepare for forced conscription. Families are instructed to guide their children towards militia training camps; otherwise, the consequences will be harsh. The ruling is simple and clear: send all of your children to militia training regardless of their age and educational levels. Equally important, the ultimate goal behind this persistent rhetoric of war is largely associated with two fundamental objectives: consolidating and reorganizing its own forces and actively deploying mercenary fighters to neighboring Sudan conflict.
Equally significant, the decree is aimed at the “Eritreanization” of Tigray, whereby the hardline rump of the TPLF have sought to establish a highly militarized and Fascist order in the region. Through the promotion of a siege mentality, exclusivist nationalism, and hostility toward perceived external adversaries, the initiative is viewed as an effort to consolidate political power, suppress dissent, and entrench an increasingly centralized and authoritarian system of governance.
The innate Revolutionary Democracy of TPLF: the Path to Coercion
At its inception, the TPLF has born with the ideology commonly known as a revolutionary democracy, a political doctrine that prioritized centralized control and partisan interests over genuine democratic governance. Throughout its history, the TPLF has demonstrated zero commitment to pluralistic democracy, inclusive development and respect for fundamental human rights, instead, it has been preoccupied with pseudo democracy. Over the last three decades that it ruled the country, instead of genuinely fostering democratic participation and launching economic transformation, it was often preoccupied with suppressing dissenting voices, restricting political freedoms and prioritizing coercive methods to achieve its political objectives.
Resorting to its innate banditry behavior, the TPLF has held the people of Tigray hostage and isolated. Day and night, it disseminated propaganda, saying: “You, the people of Tigray, are encircled by many enemies. Rise up together and fight for your own survival. I am your protector. Without me, your life is at risk and endangered. Without me, you cannot survive! I am your begotten son. Rise and take up your gun to defend me!”
This propaganda of the hardliner of the rump of the TPLF, in many respects, has been resembles that of Nazi Germany. It has widely cultivated a sense of isolation and a siege mentality among the people of the region. It promotes notions of exclusivity, historical grievances and collective entitlement within society. Likewise, it simultaneously claiming that the people of the region are under constant threat from external enemies. This combination can become a powerful propaganda tool for mobilizing support and maintaining control over the population.
This decree to forced conscription has been born out of the longstanding tendency of the group towards Fascism and Dictatorship. Rather than engaging citizens through democratic processes and voluntary participation, the use of coercion disregards internationally recognized human rights principles, including the rights to freedom, security and personal choice. Respect for democratic values, the rule of law and the protection of the fundamental human and democratic rights of all people have been completely torn apart in Tigray and buried in the graveyard by the TPLF.
Tear of the People of Tigray
The People of Tigray from all walks of life are strongly condemned the forced conscription imposed by the hardline of the rump TPLF. Families in the region are under consecutive massive subjugation and living being subjected to intimidation and coercion as authorities seek to enforce the decree. Mothers who have attempted to prevent the recruitment of their children have been beaten, detained and subjected to harassment. A civilian has been killed in broad daylight while resisting or protesting this forced recruitment efforts. Parents are watching with anguish as their sons and daughters are taken away against their will. Communities that have already sacrificed an entire generation to the wars associated with the TPLF are now being asked to surrender yet another generation to conflict.
The way forward and the call for the people of Tigray
I call upon the African Union to publicly condemn this action by the TPLF and to take urgent measures to address its implications for peace, security and human rights across the broader Horn of Africa region. The African Union should work to protect the rights, safety and dignity of civilians and support efforts aimed at preserving peace and stability in Ethiopia.
Furthermore, the Union should urge the immediate reversal of the decree, the restoration of the Interim Regional Administration established under the Pretoria Peace Agreement, and the advancement of peaceful, inclusive, and democratic political processes in the region.
Ambassador General Bacha Debele Buta is currently serving as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the Republic of Kenya
