Seven Ethiopian Armed Groups Unite Behind Push to Unseat Abiy

Seven rebel movements in Ethiopia say they have joined forces with the aim of removing the administration in Addis Ababa and installing a transitional government in its place. The bloc, which they are calling Alliance for Survival, pulls in the Fano militia of Amhara, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and four smaller outfits.

The Charge Against Addis Ababa

In announcing the coalition, the groups leveled a blunt accusation at Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, saying his government has overseen “war, genocide, mass destruction, and utter poverty” and warning that the country could come apart. No reply has come from federal officials so far.

How Much of the Country It Covers

The alliance reaches beyond Oromia, Amhara and Tigray. Member groups are also rooted in Ogaden, Afar and Benishangul-Gumuz, which means half of Ethiopia’s 12 regional states are represented in the coalition.

Years of Fighting in the Regions

Armed conflict has run for years in Oromia and Amhara, the two most heavily populated states. Federal forces have been engaged against the OLA since 2018. The Fano fighters, by contrast, were once on the government’s side, backing federal troops through the Tigray war before turning their guns on Addis Ababa less than twelve months after it ended, when they refused orders to hand over their weapons.

The north has grown tense again. Tigray’s two-year civil war killed hundreds of thousands and drove millions from their homes, and although an African Union-brokered settlement closed it out in 2022, each side now charges the other with breaking the terms — fueling worry that full-scale fighting could resume.

Eritrea Claims and Abiy’s Reply

The coalition’s launch follows reports some months back of a supposed understanding between the TPLF and Eritrea next door. Abiy brushed the prospect aside, expressing confidence in Ethiopia’s “defensive capabilities”. “Even if others were added, we do not have an iota of fear regarding Ethiopia’s sovereignty,” he told lawmakers in July.

The June Election and Tigray’s Exclusion

Ethiopians voted in a general election in June that returned Abiy’s Prosperity Party with its commanding majority in parliament intact, though the exercise was clouded by ongoing violence, claims of political repression and thin turnout from opposition parties. Fano and the OLA both refused to accept the vote or its outcome. Tigray, home to roughly six million people, was left out of the ballot entirely.