Tigrayans in Addis Ababa facing greater daily life restrictions and risk of detainment

Tigrayans living in Addis Ababa are facing increasing difficulty in routine daily activities of urban life. Restrictions on civilians of Tigrayan ethnicity
are blocked from travel, moving about in the city, and even making simple purchases while facing a constant risk of detention.

The government of Ethiopia has openly called for “extermination of the weed” of the Tigrayans. Now more than 50,000 Tigrayans have been imprisoned with many being sent to detention camps in the the southern and eastern regional states. Even for those Tigrayans living in Addis Ababa the capital of Ethiopia just walking on the street and obtaining necessities is becoming impossible. I have heard from several Tigrayans living in Addis Ababa that police are coming to their home insisting on an immediate donation of at least 50% of cash assets to pay for war costs. They are further told to cease all business activities. Properties have been confiscated including motor vehicles and buildings without any type of legal proceeding or charges.

Now in an even greater restriction has been placed on several Tigrayans when trying to withdrawal money from the bank or even buy groceries from a store when they have been asked for identification. Upon seeing that they are Tigrayan they were informed that the store has been told not to perform any purchases from Tigrayans. Ethiopian banks such as Ethiopian Commerce Bank are freezing accounts of Tigrayans all over Ethiopia. Whereas before this activity was more limited to those with accounts or businesses in Tigray it is now becoming commonplace for those who have lived and worked in Addis Ababa.

It has become routine in many neighborhoods for Tigrayans driving a motor vehicle to be stopped by police who upon discovery that the driver is of Tigrayan ethnicity to be told he or she is not allowed to drive permanently. Almost no Tigrayans are allowed to leave the country by airline.