Seven Influential Groups Unite Forces, Ready to Overthrow Government

Seven armed groups in Ethiopia have formed a new alliance with the primary objective of overthrowing the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. They have agreed to cooperate to establish a transitional government that is intended to involve various groups across Ethiopia.

The announcement regarding the formation of this alliance was made on Sunday (20/9/2026). The seven groups stated that such cooperation is necessary to confront a political and security situation that they deem to be progressively worsening.

“We have formed a joint alliance called the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, abbreviated as the Alliance for Survival,” stated the seven groups in a joint communiqué, as reported by Al Jazeera.

The alliance comprises several major armed groups that have been involved in conflicts with the Ethiopian federal government for many years. One such group is the Amhara Fano National Movement, a coalition of various Fals factions that has been fighting against federal government forces in the Amhara region since 2023.

Also included is the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a group that dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades before Abiy came to power, as well as the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), which has been in conflict with federal forces in the Oromia region since 2018. Four smaller groups complete the alliance: the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front (Ugugumo), the Benishangul Peoples’ Liberation Movement, and the Gumuz Peoples’ Democratic Movement.

A source close to the Fano movement told Al Jazeera that the leaders of these groups have been engaged in talks to form an alliance for approximately one year.

The formation of this alliance comes only weeks after clashes reignited in the northern Tigray region. This conflict represents one of the most serious violations of the peace agreement reached in 2022 and has raised fears that Ethiopia could slide back into full-scale war.

Armed conflicts continue to persist in several regions of Ethiopia. Fighting has been ongoing in parts of Oromia since 2018, while the Amhara region has faced conflict since 2023.

Abiy ascended to power in 2018 promising massive reforms. At the start of his administration, he released numerous journalists, activists, and other political prisoners, and lifted bans on several political parties. However, in recent years, political opponents and human rights groups have accused Abiy’s government of reversing much of that progress.

In their announcement, the groups accused the government of implementing a “dictatorial rule” that is driving Ethiopia towards fragmentation. They also stated that a transitional government, based on a charter, would strive to end various wars, protect the rights of the people, and open a national dialogue.

Jaal Marroo, a military leader of the OLA, told a local broadcaster earlier this month that the groups had met several times before finally agreeing on the announcement of the alliance. Meanwhile, Fano leader Zemene Kassie had previously revealed openly that an agreement had been reached, in an interview with the Swiss newspaper Le Temps published on 16 August.

The Ethiopian government has not yet provided any public comment regarding the announcement of the new alliance.

The Fano movement has a complex history with the federal government. The group previously fought alongside government forces against Tigrayan fighters during the Tigray war from 2020 to 2022, a conflict that resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths. Disputes between Amhara and Tigray also remain unresolved, as both sides claim Western Tigray, which has been managed by Amhara nationalist groups since the end of the war.

Ethiopian academic Eyob Tilahun told Al Jazeera on Sunday that these previously competing groups have agreed to dialogue and build an alliance for the sake of the people. “The allied forces believe that they all face a threat to their survival from the government,” said Eyob.

The peace agreement signed in Pretoria, South Africa, in 2022 previously ended the war between the Ethiopian federal government and Tigrayan forces. However, the agreement has yet to resolve several issues, including the disarmament process and the legal status of the TPLF. In mid-July, the TPLF even declared that the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement was “effectively dead.”