Key facts
- Seven Ethiopian armed groups have formed an alliance named the Alliance for Survival.
- The alliance includes the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Amhara Fano National Movement.
- The groups accuse the government of presiding over "war, genocide, mass destruction, and utter poverty."
- The alliance aims to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government and push for a transitional administration.
- The alliance comprises groups from six of Ethiopia's 12 regional states.
Seven Ethiopian armed groups, including former adversaries who fought on opposite sides of a 2020-2022 civil war, announced the formation of a new alliance aimed at overthrowing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government and establishing a transitional administration. The coalition, named the Alliance for Survival, brings together geographically and ethnically diverse groups from six of Ethiopia's 12 regional states, including the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Amhara Fano National Movement.
The groups accuse the government of presiding over "war, genocide, mass destruction, and utter poverty," and claim Ethiopia is at risk of disintegration. The Fano group, initially allied with federal forces against the TPLF, later turned against the government. The government has also been fighting the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) since 2018.
The announcement follows reported skirmishes between federal and Tigrayan forces and amid fears of a return to full-scale conflict despite a 2022 peace deal. The Ethiopian military has carried out drone strikes against Tigrayan forces, while nearly 300 Tigrayan fighters have reportedly surrendered. Ethiopia has also accused neighboring Eritrea of supporting insurgent groups, which Eritrea denies.