Seven Ethiopian Armed Groups Form Alliance to Challenge Federal Government

Seven distinct Ethiopian armed groups have formally announced a coalition aimed at removing the federal government led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. According to a joint statement reported by Al Jazeera, the newly established coalition is called the Ethiopian Peoples' Forces Alliance for Survival, or the Alliance for Survival.

The participating factions stated that they intend to work together to set up an inclusive transitional government guided by a charter. This proposed administration would seek to conclude ongoing internal conflicts, protect civil rights, and initiate a broad national dialogue across the country.

The coalition comprises seven organizations representing various regions and political interests in Ethiopia. Among them are the Amhara Fano National Movement, which is a coalition of Fano factions engaged in fighting federal forces in the Amhara region since 2023, and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a party that held dominant influence in Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades prior to Prime Minister Abiy taking office in 2018.

Additional members include the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), which has been in conflict with federal forces in the Oromia region since 2018, alongside four smaller organizations: the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front (Ugugumo), the Benishangul Peoples’ Liberation Movement, and the Gumuz Peoples’ Democratic Movement.

A source close to the Fano movement informed Al Jazeera that leaders from these diverse factions had been engaged in discussions to forge the alliance for approximately a year. Jaal Marroo, the military leader of the OLA, indicated to a local broadcaster that multiple meetings preceded the final public declaration, while Fano leader Zemene Kassie had previously hinted at the developing agreements in an August interview with the Swiss newspaper Le Temps.

The announcement arrives amid escalating concerns over a broader escalation of conflict within Ethiopia. Recent weeks have witnessed renewed clashes in the northern Tigray region, marking some of the most serious violations of the 2022 peace agreement that originally concluded the devastating 2020–2022 Tigray war. In mid-July, the TPLF declared that the Pretoria peace deal was "effectively dead," while long-running hostilities have persisted in Oromia since 2018 and Amhara since 2023.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed initially assumed power in 2018 on a platform of sweeping reforms, releasing political prisoners, journalists, and activists, while lifting bans on numerous political parties. However, critics and human rights organizations have increasingly accused his administration of reversing those democratic openings.

The newly formed alliance explicitly criticizes the federal government for imposing what it describes as a "dictatorial rule" that risks pushing the nation toward fragmentation. Conversely, the coalition's member organizations perceive a mutual threat to their survival posed by the current administration.

The alliance brings together factions that have previously fought on opposing sides. Notably, Fano forces fought alongside the federal military during the Tigray war, and territorial disputes over regions like Western Tigray—administered by Amhara nationalists since the end of that conflict—remain contentious. Ethiopian academic Eyob Tilahun noted that despite historical divisions, the groups have chosen dialogue and cooperation under the belief that they face a collective survival threat from the government.

The federal government of Ethiopia has not yet issued a public response to the alliance's announcement.