May 10, 2025 By: Muluken Tekleyohanes | Ambassador Media
The international community must raise its voice and take urgent action against the Ethiopian government’s alarming recruitment of underage youth into military service. Verified reports and testimonies from within Ethiopia reveal a disturbing pattern: children—some as young as 15—are being coerced or forcibly conscripted into armed forces in preparation for another round of internal conflict.
After years of fragile peace following the brutal Tigray War, the government in Addis Ababa is once again resorting to militarization and ethnic division instead of pursuing dialogue, justice, and national healing. This path risks plunging Ethiopia back into widespread violence, repression, and suffering.
A Violation of International Law
The recruitment of children into military service flagrantly violates international human rights law. Ethiopia is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child—both of which strictly prohibit child soldiering. These actions are not only illegal, but they are a cruel betrayal of Ethiopia’s youth and future.
Using children as instruments of war inflicts irreversible harm—trauma, physical injury, loss of education, and the erosion of entire communities. This must stop.
Escalating Signs of Militarization
Tensions are once again escalating in key regions, including Amhara, Oromia, and the southern states. Reports of forced conscription, widespread arrests of dissenters, and incendiary ethnic rhetoric suggest the government is preparing for large-scale conflict. The signs are too clear—and too dangerous—to ignore.
The Global Community Must Respond
We call upon international actors to act decisively and immediately:
The United Nations must launch a formal investigation into the recruitment of child soldiers in Ethiopia.
The African Union should exert pressure on the Ethiopian government to cease illegal recruitment and initiate genuine dialogue with all regional and political stakeholders.
Human rights organizations must collect, verify, and expose evidence of violations to ensure accountability.
Donor governments and financial institutions should condition all non-humanitarian aid on the Ethiopian government’s adherence to international law and human rights norms.
Ethiopia’s children belong in schools, not on the battlefield. Its people deserve peace, dignity, and a government that values life over power. The international community must not look away.
Now is the time to act.
Ambassador Media
By Muluken Tekleyohanes