Ethiopia's opposition People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP) has accused the federal government of orchestrating a propaganda campaign to condition public opinion for renewed war in the northern Tigray region. The accusation follows a government-organised demonstration in Addis Ababa last weekend denouncing alleged forced conscription by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), claims also raised by Human Rights Watch, which says Tigrayan authorities have unlawfully recruited civilians including children as young as 15. The TPLF has denied forced conscription, though its leader on Sunday called on Tigrayans to prepare to defend the region's sovereignty, declaring that "Tigray's sovereignty will not be guaranteed by peace" — raising fears of a return to the brutal 2020–2022 civil war that killed tens of thousands and displaced millions.