Ethiopian Armed Groups Form Alliance Against The Government

Ethiopian Armed Groups Form Alliance Against Government ETHIOPIA Ethiopia Seven Ethiopian armed groups, including factions that fought on opposing sides of the 2020-2022 Tigray war, announced an alliance Sunday aimed at overthrowing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government and establishing an inclusive transitional administration. The Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival brings together geographically and ethnically diverse groups, including the three major ones: the Amhara Fano National Movement, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). In a statement, the groups accused Abiy’s government of imposing “dictatorial rule,” centralizing power and marginalizing Ethiopia’s regions. A source close to Fano said discussions over forming the alliance had been ongoing for about a year. Some members have previously fought each other and remain divided over territorial disputes. The Fano fought alongside federal forces against Tigrayan forces during the 2020-2022 war in the Tigray region, which killed hundreds of thousands. Amhara and Tigray also both claim Western Tigray, which Amhara nationalists have administered since the war ended. The alliance comes amid renewed concerns over conflict across Ethiopia. Fighting has continued in Oromia since 2018 and in Amhara since 2023, while recent clashes between federal and Tigrayan forces have raised fears of the outbreak of another full-scale war. A 2022 peace agreement ended the Tigray war, but left disputes over disarmament and the TPLF’s legal status unresolved. The TPLF reasserted control over Tigray’s political administration in May, accusing the federal government of failing to uphold the agreement, and declared the deal “effectively dead” in mid-July. Abiy’s government did not immediately comment on Sunday’s announcement. An adviser to the prime minister said last month that any such coalition would seek to create havoc but could not overthrow the government. Abiy came to power in 2018 promising political reforms and initially freed political prisoners and lifted bans on several parties. However, opponents and human rights activists have accused his government of backsliding.