Tigray’s Suspended DDR Program Resumes as Former Fighters Surrender Weapons and Register in Mekelle

October 12, 2026

The previously suspended Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) program in Tigray has resumed, with former combatants reportedly surrendering their weapons and registering in Mekelle to return to civilian life.

Mekelle’s state FM radio reported the development in its first official Facebook post since the city came under the control of the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) and Tigray Peace Forces (TPF).

According to the station, young Tigrayan fighters responding to the National Rehabilitation Commission’s call have begun surrendering their weapons to nearby ENDF units before proceeding to registration centres at the Tigray Police Commission in Mekelle.

The commission has urged remaining fighters, particularly young Tigrayans affected by years of war, to lay down their weapons and take advantage of opportunities to rebuild their civilian lives. It also emphasized the need for support from the Ethiopian government and international partners to ensure successful reintegration.

The FM radio station’s previous Facebook post, dated September 24, presented a sharply different picture. Published under the TPLF-led administration that subsequently left Mekelle, it carried a statement from the Tigray Army Central Command claiming its forces were advancing, capturing strategic positions, severely weakening ENDF units and nearing the destruction of the ENDF’s 13th Command.

The statement also claimed that Colonel Melesse Ashagre, commander of the 61st Division under Corps 803, had been captured.

The contrast between the September 24 post and the station’s latest DDR report reflects the dramatic shift in Mekelle’s political and military control, as well as its state media messaging, in less than three weeks.

The number of former fighters registered, weapons surrendered and the specific reintegration assistance available have not yet been disclosed.