Large patriotic meeting on Tuesday 27 July 2021 in the morning in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. City Hall called on young people to mobilize to fight the Tigrayan rebels in the north of the country. In fact, the war that has been going on in Tigray for almost nine months has recently spread to neighboring regions and destroyed the impact of the national army. The Ethiopian government is now being forced to rapidly militarize a section of society.
as reported from Addis Ababa, Noé Rochet-Bodin
The ceremony took place on the main square in Meskel in the center of the capital. Caps and t-shirts in the colors of the Ethiopian army, 3,000 young volunteers celebrated their departure to the military training camps.
Enoch Ashenafi, 27, made a commitment and left his family in Addis Ababa: “I have my food and my life here. But it’s okay, I’ll leave. What is important is to go and fight for my country. ”
Ethiopian Army suffered significant damage during the eight-month war and wants to recruit by all means. The city of Addis Ababa, for its part, has mobilized its resources to help the soldiers, as Abdi Tsegaye, spokesman for City Hall, explains: “We send recruits, we make donations. For example, the city invested 10 million euros to support the army. The contribution from our administration is total. ”
Getachew is one of these officials in Addis Ababa who gives the army a month’s salary. This morning he also came to donate blood: “I am even ready to become a soldier if I have to. I love my country. I’m a patriot. The army is very important in defending a country. So I’m ready to join our army. ”
Youth duty has also spread to Oromia, Ethiopia’s largest region.
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