Ethiopia says 300 Tigray fighters surrendered

Ethiopia's federal army said on Friday, September 18, that nearly 300 Tigray People's Liberation Front fighters had surrendered to forces along the Tekeze corridor in northwestern and western Tigray.

The army said the fighters included divisional officers and had handed over more than 280 individual and crew-served weapons, along with ammunition. It published photos of weapons and soldiers.

TPLF vice president Amanuel Assefa told AFP he could not comment on “this kind of military issue”.

The army said the fighters were unhappy with what it called TPLF preparations for war and opposed alleged efforts by TPLF leaders to recruit young Tigrayans. AFP and Human Rights Watch have reported forced recruitment by regional Tigrayan authorities, citing young men who escaped training camps or fled local roundups.

The claim comes as both Ethiopia's federal government and the TPLF have massed troops along Tigray's border in recent months, raising fears of a return to the conflict that devastated the region between 2020 and 2022. The African Union has said the war killed about 600,000 people.

ACLED, an organisation that tracks conflicts, has reported several federal drone strikes on military positions in Tigray in August and September. Officials have not commented on those strikes.

The federal government has accused the TPLF of closer ties with Eritrea. Amanuel has previously said he would ally with “anyone who fights the federal government”.