Ministry of Education Warns Tigray Universities to Clear Military Presence

The Ethiopian Ministry of Education (MoE) has issued a strict warning to four public universities in the Tigray region—Mekelle, Axum, Adigrat, and Raya Universities—demanding they clear all military presence from their campuses. In an official letter signed by Education Minister Professor Berhanu Nega, the ministry stated it will withhold assigning new students to these institutions until all wounded combatants and armed individuals are removed. The letter highlighted that wounded soldiers have been stationed at several campuses, including Mekelle's Kuha campus and Adigrat's Mwetzae Werqi campus, as well as the main campuses of Axum and Adigrat. The MoE emphasized that using academic facilities for military purposes jeopardizes student safety and strays from civil educational missions. University leadership and governing boards were ordered to immediately evacuate armed personnel, ensure campuses remain military-free, and safeguard institutional resources. Furthermore, the ministry warned that failure to report non-educational military activities would carry severe accountability. Separately, Mekelle University announced registration dates for returning undergraduate students for September 19-20, 2026 (Meskerem 9-10, 2019 E.C.).