Seven Ethiopian rebel groups form alliance to oust Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed

September 23, 2026 at 07:38 PM2 min

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

Seven Ethiopian armed groups announced the formation of the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival and pledged to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The alliance includes the TPLF, Oromo Liberation Army, and Amhara Fano National Movement. The announcement came as Tigrayan forces seized Alula Aba Nega International Airport in Mekelle.

Key Facts

Seven Ethiopian armed groups formed the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival on Sunday.
The alliance pledged to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and establish a transitional administration.
Tigrayan forces seized Alula Aba Nega International Airport in Mekelle on Wednesday.
Drone strikes on two schools in Alamata killed 14 civilians and wounded 22 on Tuesday.
The TPLF dominated Ethiopia for 27 years until Abiy Ahmed took power in 2018.

Alliance Formation

The alliance’s founding statement was read on Tigrai TV on Sunday by Fano commander Zemene Kassie. It brings together the Amhara Fano National Movement, the TPLF, the Oromo Liberation Army, the Ogaden National Liberation Front, the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front, the Benishangul Peoples’ Liberation Movement, and the Gumuz Peoples’ Democratic Movement. The alliance promises a transitional administration once Abiy is gone. Abiy’s spokesperson, Billene Seyoum, told Reuters that the members had been collaborating for some time with Eritrean financial backing, an accusation Asmara has repeatedly denied.

Military Escalation

On Tuesday, drones struck two schools in Alamata, in southern Tigray, and the town’s mayor said 14 civilians were killed and 22 wounded. The account could not be independently verified, and the federal government did not immediately comment. By Wednesday, Tigrayan forces had seized Alula Aba Nega International Airport in Mekelle, AFP reported, citing an airport employee and a Western embassy security source. The airport employee said staff had been told there were no flights.

Historical Context

The TPLF dominated Ethiopia for 27 years, until Abiy took power in 2018 and pushed it to the margins. In November 2020, the federal army, backed by Eritrean troops and Amhara forces, went to war with it. African Union mediator Olusegun Obasanjo believes that about 600,000 people died, though estimates of the toll have varied. That war ended in November 2022 with an agreement signed in Pretoria, South Africa.