Seven Ethiopian rebel groups have formed a new alliance, dubbed the Alliance for Survival, in a bid to remove the government in Addis Ababa. The coalition brings together the Fano militia in Amhara, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), and four other smaller groupings. The groups accuse Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government of presiding over "war, genocide, mass destruction, and utter poverty", claiming Ethiopia is at risk of disintegration.
The seven groups have been fighting the Ethiopian authorities in different parts of the country. Ethiopia has faced years of armed conflict in Oromia and Amhara, the most populous states in the country. Renewed tensions in the northern Tigray region have also been reported, where a two-year civil war left hundreds of thousands dead and displaced millions. An African Union peace deal ended that war in 2022, but there have been fears of a return to a full-scale conflict.
Besides Oromia, Amhara and Tigray, the new alliance also includes groups based in three other regions - Somali, Afar and Benishangul-Gumuz - making up a half of Ethiopia's 12 regional states. The states are structured largely based on their dominant ethnic groups – a system of ethnic federalism that gives some autonomy to the states, but which can present social and political challenges for the country which has more than 80 ethnic groups.
Some of the rebel groups in the new alliance have previously fought against each other, but they say they will now work together against their common enemy. Abdikadir Addaani Hirmooge, the spokesman for the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), which is part of the alliance, accused Abiy's Prosperity Party of being an "obstacle to the people" and "unleashing" wars and many deaths.
Addaani said the groups in the new coalition were working to bring together communities that have been divided against one another. He stated that their objective is for the communities to have democracy and to exercise their right to self-determination, to genuinely govern themselves. The announcement of the Alliance for Survival coalition comes months after reports of an alleged alliance between TPLF and neighbouring Eritrea.
Amhara's Fano group fought alongside federal forces against the TPLF during the Tigray war, but turned against the federal government in an armed insurgency less than a year after the war ended, after refusing government orders to disarm. The government has been fighting the OLA since 2018. Abiy responded to the alleged alliance by saying he had faith in Ethiopia's "defensive capabilities".
The Ethiopian government has not commented on the new alliance, but the formation of the Alliance for Survival coalition has significant implications for the country's stability. The groups' accusations against the government and their objective of self-determination highlight the deep-seated tensions and challenges facing Ethiopia.
Key points
- The seven rebel groups have formed the Alliance for Survival coalition to remove the government in Addis Ababa.
- The groups accuse Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government of presiding over "war, genocide, mass destruction, and utter poverty".
- The new alliance includes groups based in six regions, making up a half of Ethiopia's 12 regional states.
