Seven armed groups in Ethiopia announce alliance against government — TimesLIVE
Seven armed groups in Ethiopia have announced the creation of an alliance aimed at overthrowing the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The alliance includes groups from Tigray in the north of the country, as well as from the Oromia, Afar, Benishangul-Gumuz and Somali regions, TimesLIVE reports.
Former adversaries join the alliance
The newly formed Ethiopian People’s Alliance for Survival Forces, announced late on Sunday evening, includes the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Amhara Fano National Movement, among others. Some members of the coalition also have disputes with each other over territories and other issues.
Fano, a coalition of armed groups from the Amhara region, fought alongside the federal government against the TPLF during the 2020–2022 war in Tigray. According to the source, the war claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and was accompanied by atrocities driven by ethnic motives.
Fano later turned against the federal authorities. Since 2023, a conflict has continued in the Amhara region, killing thousands of people.
Statements by the sides and the situation in Tigray
Coalition members accuse the authorities of centralizing powers and marginalizing the regions. Ethiopia’s government says it is conducting a nationwide dialogue to resolve long-standing political disputes and internal conflicts.
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Fano leader Zemene Kassie read a statement on behalf of the alliance in which its members declared their intention to overthrow the current regime. Last month, an adviser to Abiy Ahmed said that a possible alliance of armed groups would seek to destabilize the situation but would not be able to remove the federal government.
The alliance announcement came after reports of clashes between federal and Tigrayan forces. In May, the TPLF regained control of Tigray’s political administration, contrary to the 2022 peace agreement that ended the war in Tigray. Before that, the TPLF accused the federal government of failing to implement the agreement.
According to data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project, Ethiopian forces have carried out drone strikes on Tigrayan forces in recent months. The federal government did not comment on these reports, while the army said last week that nearly 300 Tigrayan fighters had surrendered.
Ethiopia has also accused neighbouring Eritrea of supporting rebel groups, including the TPLF and Fano. Eritrea denied the allegations.
