Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Horn News Hub).
Eritrean Forces Reportedly Arrest Dozens in Irob, Sources Say
Mekelle-Horn News Hub – [15/12/2025]
More than 50 people have been arrested in the Irob district of Tigray and taken across the border into Eritrea, according to sources with direct knowledge of the situation. The majority of those detained are believed to be young men.
Local sources allege that the arrests form part of a wider effort by the Eritrean authorities to exert control over the Irob community, an indigenous minority group living along the Ethiopia–Eritrea border. Reports suggest that those detained face pressure to accept Eritrean nationality and comply with Eritrea’s compulsory national service program, which rights groups have long criticized as indefinite and abusive.
The Irob, a small highland community, have faced significant humanitarian challenges since the outbreak of the two-year conflict in northern Ethiopia, during which Eritrean troops were accused by international investigators of committing atrocities against civilians. Community leaders say the denial of aid and basic services has left residents vulnerable to coercion.
Despite the recent tactical alignment between Eritrea’s ruling People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), residents and advocacy groups say this alliance has provided no guarantees for the safety or security of the Irob people.
Even though TPLF-affiliated generals have publicly stated that Eritrean forces have withdrawn from Tigray, local residents insist that Eritrean troops continue to occupy Irob, Zalambesa, and Badme.
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