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Seven Ethiopian armed groups declared the formation of a new coalition on September 20 with the stated goal of removing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed from power and setting up an inclusive transitional administration guided by a transitional charter. The groups issued a joint statement accusing the ruling Prosperity Party of imposing dictatorial rule that has pushed the country toward disintegration through war and destruction. According to the statement cited across multiple outlets including Al Jazeera the alliance will seek to end ongoing armed conflicts protect human and democratic rights and convene a genuine national dialogue on Ethiopia’s political future.
The Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival known in short as the Alliance for Survival brings together the Amhara Fano National Movement the Tigray People’s Liberation Front the Oromo Liberation Army the Ogaden National Liberation Front the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front also known as Ugugumo the Benishangul Peoples’ Liberation Movement and the Gumuz Peoples’ Democratic Movement. These organisations represent grievances across six regions and include former adversaries that fought on opposing sides during the 2020-2022 Tigray conflict which multiple assessments including those referenced by Al Jazeera and AFP placed the death toll at approximately 600000. The coalition’s formation follows roughly a year of talks among the groups according to sources close to the discussions who spoke to Al Jazeera.
Tigray People’s Liberation Front vice chairman Amanuel Assefa told AFP that the groups had just formed the alliance and were cooperating with the objective of overthrowing the regime to enable a transitional government. Amhara Fano National Movement leader Zemene Kassie read the joint statement on Tigrai TV and has been named chairman of the new coalition. In the announcement the groups expressed determination to settle differences peacefully based on the free will of their peoples principles and the rule of law while mobilising collective capacities against what they termed a personalist and genocidal system.
Federal forces have battled the Oromo Liberation Army in Oromia since 2018 and Fano militias in Amhara since 2023 according to reporting by the Associated Press and Al Jazeera while tensions with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front have escalated again with recent troop movements along borders noted by the African Union. A researcher at the University of Oslo cited by Al Jazeera questioned the alliance’s prospects for sustained conflict given the federal government’s superior equipment including drones. The announcement comes weeks after fresh clashes in Tigray that have deepened concerns about the durability of the 2022 peace agreement.
Abiy Ahmed who took office in 2018 initially promising reforms and winning the Nobel Peace Prize has faced mounting criticism from opponents and human rights groups for reversing democratic gains in subsequent years Al Jazeera reported. No immediate comment emerged from Ethiopian federal authorities on the new alliance. The development marks another shift in the country’s fluid alliances with a similar anti-government pact formed in 2021 by nine groups that ultimately failed to alter the political landscape according to historical accounts in Reuters archives.
The coalition has not detailed its military command structure or operational plans in the public statement. Its transitional vision includes addressing humanitarian social and economic crises while pursuing an inclusive constitutional dialogue. Fighting continues in parts of Oromia and Amhara where the involved groups maintain active presence according to recent field reports compiled by The Associated Press.
