Armed groups fighting Ethiopia’s central government are swelling in numbers as they advance on the capital Addis Ababa, posing the biggest threat to embattled Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s rule since a bloody year-long conflict began in the country’s northern Tigray region a year ago.
Nine groups opposing the government — a broad coalition of armed groups and political actors representing different regional and ethnic interests — said they would form a new alliance on Friday “in response to the scores of crises facing the country” and to fight against Abiy, according to a statement issued by organizers.
The new bloc, which calls itself the United Front of Ethiopian Federalist and Confederalist Forces, will seek to establish a “safe transition in the country” to replace Abiy, organizer Yohanees Abraha told CNN late on Thursday. Yohanees, who is with the Tigray forces, added that the alliance will be formed at a signing event in Washington, DC, Friday.
The alliance includes fighters loyal to Tigray’s former ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), known as the Tigray Defense Forces (TDF), who have been battling Ethiopia’s military since Abiy ordered an offensive in the region last year.
Twelve months on, the fighting has left thousands dead, displaced more than 2 million people from their homes, fueled famine and given rise to a wave of atrocities. Now, with combined rebel forces edging closer to Addis Ababa and Ethiopian authorities announcing a nationwide state of emergency, fears are growing that the conflict could spiral into all-out war.
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