#FactCheck: Residents and officials in Tigray reject claim of forced conscription as False
A recent report by Ahadu TV / አሐዱ ቴሌቪዥን claiming that Tigrayan youth are fleeing the region due to forced conscription has been dismissed as false by local residents and officials from the Interim Administration.
The report published by Ahadu Television yesterday alleged that authorities in Tigray were forcing youth into military service, triggering a wave of migration. The report did not name specific sources, failed to identify locations where the alleged incidents occurred, and provided no verifiable proof to support its claims.
Despite the absence of concrete evidence It quickly spread online, prompting concern among viewers and observers about possible remobilization in Tigray. Several accounts used the report to amplify concerns of renewed militarization.
However, residents interviewed by Wegahta from multiple towns said the claim is unfounded.
“There is no forced conscription here,” said Daniel Gebremedhin, a 26 years old university graduate living in Mekelle. “Many young people are leaving because of unemployment and the lack of opportunities not because anyone is forcing them to join the army.”
In Adigrat, another town in eastern Tigray, residents also dismissed the claim.
Atsbiha Tesfay, a 29 year old resident of Adigrat, shared similar account. “People are leaving because life is hard not because they’re being taken for military service,” she said.
An official from the Tigray peace and security bureau, told Wegahta the reports are “false and deliberately misleading.”
“We recently demobilized more than 40,000 former combatants as part of the Pretoria agreement,” the official said. “We have no intention of conscripting more fighters. We want the DDR process to be fully implemented concurrently with the withdrawal of foreign and non-ENDF forces as stipulated in the agreement.”
He added “This kind of misinformation is meant to stir panic, create a wrong image of Tigray and undermine efforts to stabilize the region,” the official said.
Wegahta Facts has reached out to Ahadu Television for comment but has yet to receive a response.
The controversial reports comes amid growing tensions between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and the Federal Government that have enabled the spread of rumors and misinformation particularly via social media and news platforms fueling public anxiety and deepening frustration.
Residents and officials have called for more responsible reporting and urged the public to seek verified information.