Ethiopia: Seven Armed Groups Unite to Overthrow Abiy Ahmed’s Government

Seven Ethiopian armed and opposition groups announced on Sunday, September 20, the formation of a coalition aimed at overthrowing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government and establishing an inclusive transitional administration.

The alliance includes the Amhara National Movement Fano, the Oromo Liberation Army, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, the Ogaden National Liberation Front, as well as movements from Afar, Benishangul, and Gumuz. The founding declaration was read on Tigrai Television by Zemene Kassie, leader of the Fano movement.

Amanuel Assefa, vice president of the TPLF, confirmed to AFP that the members had formalized their cooperation. He stated that their common goal was to bring down the current federal government and facilitate the establishment of a transitional government.

This formalization comes about a month after Zemene Kassie had already announced agreements with several armed groups, including the TPLF, to coordinate their actions against Addis Ababa. Benin Web TV had reported on this unprecedented rapprochement between Fano and the Tigrayan forces, which had been opposed during the Tigray war.

The coalition brings together organizations with sometimes divergent interests, marked by past conflicts or territorial disputes. Fano has been fighting federal forces since 2023 in the Amhara region, while the Oromo Liberation Army is engaged in a long-standing insurgency in Oromia. In the north, tensions have once again escalated around Tigray following the war from 2020 to 2022.

Federal authorities had not yet issued an official response by Sunday evening. Kjetil Tronvoll, a researcher quoted by AFP, noted that the coalition must demonstrate its ability to coordinate effectively, as a common command could require the federal army to confront multiple fronts simultaneously.