Braving the rain and chilly temperatures, thousands of demonstrators gathered at Meskel Square in Addis Ababa on Saturday 18 July 2026 to hold a peaceful mass rally. Organized by the Tigray Peace and Change Council, the gathering was in protest of the alleged forced recruitment of civilians in the Tigray region by Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) force.

Berhane Gebreyesus, communications head for the Simret Party, and spokesperson for the council, stated that the rally aims to draw global attention to a deepening humanitarian and economic crisis in Tigray. “The objective of this great peaceful rally is to call upon the international community and the federal government to fulfill their duties and save our people from dispersion and unnecessary slaughter,” Berhane said.

Authorities in Ethiopia’s Tigray region are reported to have abducted and forcibly recruited children as young as 15 as it prepares for renewed conflict with the federal government. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), officials have been grabbing men and boys in nighttime house-to-house searches, from offices and other workplaces such as gold-mining sites. “The Tigrayan authorities’ campaign to forcibly recruit men and boys into their forces is creating a climate of fear throughout the region,” said Laetitia Bader, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities should immediately end their campaign and allow those unlawfully recruited to return home.”

While the exact number of Christians forcibly recruited is unknown, religious and civil society leaders in the region issued an urgent appeal for peace, earlier this year. The statement called on all combatants to immediately cease hostilities and pursue dialogue to avoid further suffering by civilians. The Tigray Orthodox Tewahedo Church, among other faith representatives, described the loss of life as intolerable, declaring “the killing of brothers by brothers must stop.”