Omanghana
Seven armed opposition groups in Ethiopia have announced the formation of a new political and military coalition aimed at removing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s federal government and establishing an inclusive transitional administration.
The coalition, known as the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, was formally unveiled on September 20, 2026. Its formation brings together several groups that previously fought on opposing sides during Ethiopia’s devastating Tigray war between 2020 and 2022.
The alliance comprises 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, the Benishangul Peoples’ Liberation Movement and the Gumuz Peoples’ Democratic Movement.
Together, the organizations have a presence across six of Ethiopia’s 12 regional states, giving the coalition a potentially broad geographical reach. Zemene Kasse, leader of the Amhara Fano National Movement, has been named chairman of the alliance.
In a declaration announcing its formation, the coalition said it intends to overthrow the current federal administration and replace it with a transitional government representing Ethiopia’s various political, regional and ethnic interests.
The partnership is considered significant because of the longstanding hostilities among some of its members. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front and Fano militias, for instance, were enemies during the Tigray conflict.
Fano forces supported the federal army in its campaign against the TPLF after fighting erupted in November 2020. However, relations between the Amhara militia and the federal government later deteriorated following the November 2022 peace agreement that formally ended the war.
By 2023, Fano fighters had turned their weapons against federal forces, leading to prolonged instability and military operations across the Amhara region.
Representatives of the new coalition said negotiations and coordination among the participating groups had been taking place quietly for more than a year before the alliance was publicly announced.
Prime Minister Abiy’s office has claimed that the armed organizations were already cooperating behind the scenes. However, their formal unification creates a more coordinated and geographically diverse challenge to the federal government.
The development comes amid renewed concerns over Ethiopia’s security situation. Reports of military deployments and troop movements involving federal and Tigrayan forces in the north have raised fears that the country could slide back into a wider conflict.
The African Union and international partners have repeatedly called for restraint and dialogue as tensions increase in areas affected by unresolved territorial disputes and the incomplete implementation of the 2022 peace agreement.
Ethiopia has experienced persistent political and ethnic violence in several regions in recent years. The emergence of the Alliance for Survival could further reshape the country’s security landscape and place additional pressure on Abiy’s administration ahead of an uncertain political period.
Source: Omanghana
