Abduction / extortion / forced conscription by government forces in Ambo, West Shewa (24 Oct 2021)

CONSCRIPTION FNN News 24 October included an interview with two child soldiers (left), captured by Tigrean Defence Forces the previous day. They gave themselves up. As they did, some were shot at from behind by Ethiopian government forces. The two boys said they had been forcibly conscripted before being trained for six weeks and sent to the front. The 15 year-old (right), from 01 kebele, Ambo, stated plainly that 'it was not by my choice' Informants in Oromia informed an OSG contact in Maryland in the last week of August that each kebele was being ordered to send 500 recruits.

Source: Oromia Support Group, OSG Report 58 (2021-12-14), p.30. https://oromiasupport.org/wp-content/uploads/simple-file-list/Report-58.pdf