ENDF denies claims, says recruitment based on Defense Ministry guidelines

By Samuel Abate

The newly appointed head of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) says his office is conducting an investigation into allegations that the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) is forcibly conscripting youth, some of whom are underage.

Recent images and videos circulating on social media portraying youth, many of whom are underage teens, standing in long queues as part of the alleged forced conscription process have incited public outcries and rage.

Commissioner Berhanu Adelo, who took the helm in January, told The Reporter that EHRC has received several complaints from citizens who claim they are being forced to conscript.

He said the Commission has initiated an investigation into the allegations, and revealed that he met with senior ENDF officers on April 28, 2025, to discuss the complaints.

“During the discussion, we raised the recruitment criteria and the allegations brought to our attention. They army officers told us that they have a mechanism to ensure that recruitment criteria are met across lower echelons at the woreda and kebele levels. However, if any irregularities arise, they said they will investigate them, and they assured us that they would cooperate with the EHRC on the issue,” Berhanu told The Reporter.

“We did not approach the National Defense Force because we had confirmed the complaints were invalid, but because we were concerned about the issue,” he said. “The Commission is conducting an investigation, and we will release the report once the investigation is complete.”

On April 30, Colonel Getnet Adane, director of public relations for the ENDF, dismissed claims that citizens are being forcefully recruited into the military as false.

In a statement posted to social media, the Colonel emphasized that the National Defense Force, in accordance with Article 87 of the Ethiopian Constitution, carries out its legal duties, including protecting the country’s sovereignty and implementing a state of emergency, in compliance with the Constitution’s procedures and guidelines.

Getnet stated that recruitment is being carried out  in accordance with criteria and guidelines set forth by the Ministry of Defense.

He clarified that only youths who meet the established criteria will be recruited, and this process is conducted carefully in the regional zones and woredas. He also refuted claims criticizing the recruitment criteria—such as age, health, and other requirements—asserting that these claims are misinformed.

According to Colonel Getnet, a young person can only conscript if they meet the necessary criteria and pass through various controls, from registration to training. He emphasized that not everyone who registers is accepted.

In his statement, the Colonel also denied reports of drone attacks targeting civilians in the Amhara and Oromia regions.

In a December 2024 report, the EHRC stated that in various areas of the Oromia region, regional authorities and security forces had forced citizens to join the military against their will. The report was based on the Commission’s visits to detention centers for potential recruits in Adama, Bishoftu, Jimma, and Shashemene, where they interviewed detainees and government officials.

The investigation revealed that the Oromia regional administration had requested that the defense force recruitment process follow the Ministry of Defense’s requirements, but the regional administration and security forces had forcibly detained many individuals, including children, in violation of these guidelines.

It was also reported that in some areas, families of those detained were forced to pay large sums of money to secure their release.