Seven Ethiopian armed groups form alliance to oust Abiy Ahmed

September 21, 2026 at 05:34 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Seven Ethiopian armed groups, including the TPLF and OLA, announced an alliance on Sunday to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government. The groups said they would establish an inclusive transitional government, even as clashes in Tigray deepened fears of a return to full-scale war.

Key Facts

The alliance, named the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, includes the Amhara Fano National Movement, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, and the Oromo Liberation Army.
The groups announced the alliance on Sunday after about a year of talks, according to a source close to Fano.
The announcement comes weeks after clashes in Tigray marked one of the most serious breaches of the 2022 peace deal.
The alliance accuses Abiy Ahmed's government of imposing “dictatorial rule” that has pushed Ethiopia towards break-up.
The Ethiopian government has not publicly commented on the announcement.

Alliance Membership

The alliance includes the Amhara Fano National Movement, a coalition of Fano factions that has fought federal forces in Amhara since 2023. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front, which dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades before Abiy took office, is also a member. The Oromo Liberation Army, which has fought federal forces in Oromia since 2018, joined the alliance as well. Four smaller groups—the Ogaden National Liberation Front, the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front, the Benishangul Peoples’ Liberation Movement, and the Gumuz Peoples’ Democratic Movement—complete the alliance.

Formation Timeline

Leaders of the groups had been in talks to form the alliance for about a year, a source close to Fano told Al Jazeera on Sunday. Jaal Marroo, the OLA’s military leader, told a local broadcaster earlier this month that the groups had met several times before settling on the final announcement. Zemene Kassie, the Fano leader, first publicly indicated that deals had been reached in an interview with the Swiss newspaper Le Temps published on August 16.

Context and Accusations

The announcement comes weeks after clashes in the northern region of Tigray, one of the most serious breaches yet of a 2022 peace deal, deepened fears of a return to full-scale war. Fighting has gripped parts of Oromia since 2018 and Amhara since 2023. In the statement, the alliance accuses the government of imposing “dictatorial rule” that has pushed the country towards break-up. The alliance says a transitional government guided by a charter would work to end the wars, protect rights, and open a national dialogue.