Ethiopian Armed Groups Unite Against Abiy Government

Seven Ethiopian armed groups have formed an alliance aimed at removing the federal government and establishing a transitional administration, according to Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) vice president Amanuel Assefa. The alliance includes Tigrayan forces, Amhara nationalist Fano militias, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), and four other groups. Fano leader Zemene Kasse is expected to chair the alliance. The federal government had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication. The announcement comes amid rising tensions in northern Ethiopia. The Ethiopian government and the TPLF have reportedly deployed troops along the border of Tigray, raising fears that fighting could resume after the Tigray war, which killed an estimated 600,000 people. Ethiopia is also facing ongoing insurgencies in Oromia and Amhara, its two most populous regions. Analyst Kjetil Tronvoll questioned whether the alliance could successfully challenge the federal government, which has significant drone capabilities. However, he said coordinated military action across four or five fronts could create serious difficulties for government forces. Tronvoll also raised questions about the alliance’s ability to govern if it succeeded, given the groups’ differing ideologies and past conflicts. The alliance faces substantial internal tensions. Fano previously fought alongside federal forces during the Tigray war, while Amhara and Tigrayan groups continue to dispute control of Western Tigray. The OLA has fought the government since 2018 in Oromia and is designated a terrorist organisation by federal authorities. Despite these divisions, Assefa said the groups intended to resolve their disputes peacefully through later negotiations.

Seven Ethiopian armed groups have announced an alliance intended to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s federal government and establish an inclusive transitional administration. Calling themselves the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, or the Alliance for Survival, the groups accuse the government of imposing “dictatorial rule” and driving Ethiopia toward disintegration. They say a transitional government would operate under a charter, end the country’s armed conflicts, protect rights and organize a national dialogue. The alliance includes the Amhara Fano National Movement, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), along with the Ogaden National Liberation Front, the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front, the Benishangul Peoples’ Liberation Movement and the Gumuz Peoples’ Democratic Movement. The groups reportedly negotiated for about a year before making the announcement. The development comes amid renewed concerns about Ethiopia’s fragile security situation. Clashes in Tigray have endangered the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement, which ended the devastating 2020–2022 war between the federal government and Tigray forces. Fighting has also continued in Oromia since 2018 and in Amhara since 2023. The TPLF declared the Pretoria agreement “effectively dead” in July, while unresolved disputes remain over disarmament and the group’s legal status. Amhara and Tigray also dispute control of Western Tigray. Abiy came to power in 2018 promising major political reforms, including the release of prisoners and the legalization of opposition parties. However, opponents and human rights activists accuse his government of rolling back those gains. The federal government had not publicly responded to the alliance announcement at the time of publication. Analysts and figures connected to the armed groups say the alliance reflects their shared belief that they face an existential threat from the government, although its practical unity and ability to coordinate remain uncertain.

Seven armed groups operating in different parts of Ethiopia have announced a coalition called the Alliance for Survival, whose stated aim is to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government. The alliance includes the Fano militia in Amhara, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), and three other smaller groups based in the Somali, Afar and Benishangul-Gumuz regions. Together, the groups represent forces active in six of Ethiopia’s 12 regional states. The groups accuse Abiy’s Prosperity Party government of presiding over “war, genocide, mass destruction, and utter poverty,” and argue that Ethiopia risks disintegration. ONLF spokesman Abdikadir Addaani Hirmooge told the BBC that the government had failed to honor a 2018 peace agreement ending conflict in the Somali region. He said the alliance sought to unite communities divided by ethnic conflict and establish democracy, self-determination and local self-government. The announcement comes amid continuing instability in Ethiopia. Armed conflict has persisted in Oromia and Amhara, while tensions have resurfaced in Tigray following the devastating two-year war there. An African Union-brokered peace agreement ended the Tigray conflict in 2022, but both sides have accused each other of violating it, raising fears of renewed civil war. Fano previously fought alongside federal forces against the TPLF before turning against the government after refusing to disarm. The government has fought the OLA since 2018. The coalition’s formation follows reports of possible cooperation between the TPLF and neighboring Eritrea. Abiy has said Ethiopia has the defensive capacity to protect its sovereignty and that he is not afraid of additional opponents. His Prosperity Party retained a large parliamentary majority in a June general election, although the vote was affected by conflict, alleged repression and limited opposition participation. Fano and the OLA rejected the election, while Tigray and its roughly six million residents were excluded from it.

The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), Amhara nationalist Fano militias and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) have joined five other groups in a seven-group alliance aimed at overthrowing Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and establishing a transitional government. The alliance, called the Ethiopian Peoples' Forces Alliance for Survival, reportedly represents groups from regions comprising half of Ethiopia's 12 regional states. TPLF Vice President Amanuel Assefa said the groups had coordinated for more than a year and that Fano leader Zemene Kasse would chair the alliance. The announcement raises fears that Ethiopia's devastating Tigray conflict could resume. Government and TPLF forces have reportedly massed near Tigray, while the TPLF has not fulfilled its obligation under the 2022 Pretoria Agreement to demobilise. It also reinstated its pre-war regional council in May, further undermining the peace deal. The TPLF fought the federal government from 2020 to 2022 in a war that may have killed up to 600,000 people. Analyst Kjetil Tronvoll questioned whether the alliance could sustain a war against federal forces, which possess substantial drone capabilities. However, he said coordination across four or five fronts could significantly challenge the government. The alliance faces serious internal obstacles, including ideological differences, past fighting between its members and territorial disputes, particularly over Western Tigray, which is administered by Amhara nationalists. The article also reports separate violence in western Ethiopia's Gambella region. Doctors Without Borders said at least 12 people were killed and dozens injured in clashes near the South Sudan border. Its teams treated 88 patients, including eight people who arrived dead and four who died after arrival. The perpetrators remain unidentified, while a 2025 report linked increasing conflict in Gambella to economic hardship and the influx of refugees from South Sudan.