Marching in formation, the tunic-clad actors thrust fake swords and spears into the air and unleashed their fiercest battle cries: "I will fight for my country, Ethiopia! I am a soldier of Ethiopia!” Later, on a stage adorned with photos of elite soldiers and the Ethiopian flag, the actors belted out war anthems dating to century-old campaigns against Italian colonisers. Friday's ceremony at the Addis Ababa mayor's office was an example of how Ethiopians are heeding a "national call" issued this week by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to "deploy all means necessary" to defeat rebels from the war-scarred Tigray region.

This weekend the actors -- representing four theatre houses in the capital -- will travel to military camps across the country to entertain new recruits bound for the front, city officials said. The mobilisation comes as fighting intensifies in previously unscathed regions, rebels explore new alliances and world leaders ramp up demands for a halt to violence so desperately-needed aid can be distributed.

Abiy has urged "all capable Ethiopians who are of age" to join the armed forces, though officials have stressed there are multiple ways citizens can back the military campaign which has dragged on for more than nine months. Arega Ayalkat, a 23-year-old actor who will travel to a military camp in the southern city of Hawassa, said he was eager to do his part. "It does not mean all people have to fight with weapons... Our role is to stimulate and motivate and also to embolden the frightened with music," he said.

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