Man Flees Alamata to Escape Conscription Amid Renewed Fighting

Dawit Tadese, a 28-year-old man, was forced to flee his home in Alamata as fighting drew near the area. He escaped to Addis Ababa in early June to avoid being rounded up for forced conscription alongside other young men in the town. His pregnant wife was left behind in Alamata during his sudden departure. Dawit shared his painful experience of living alone in the capital while worrying about his family's safety. To survive similar recruitment drives during the previous war, he had disguised himself as a church deacon and hid in a crypt for two years. His story highlights the severe personal toll and continued displacement caused by recurring conflicts in northern Ethiopia.