Ethiopia’s Civil War Intensifies as Rebel Alliance Forms
Ethiopia’s civil war escalates as rebel groups unite to challenge Abiy Ahmed’s government.
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Heavy fighting erupted between Ethiopian government forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in Chila, in Tigray’s Central Zone, on October 25 and 26. Residents reported artillery fire and drone strikes, while the TPLF claimed a drone strike killed seven young people working as traditional gold miners.
Regional Rivalries and Historical Context
The pro-government Tigray Peace Force said senior TPLF commander Maj. Gen. Yohannes Woldegiyorgis, known as John Medid, was in government custody but did not explain when or how he was taken. The clashes came three weeks after federal forces recaptured Mekelle, Tigray’s capital, and days after a TPLF commander ordered his fighters to keep resisting government-backed forces.
Separately, the Oromia regional administration accused the TPLF and Eritrea of responsibility for attacks that killed at least 60 Orthodox Christians in Arsi Zone on October 20 and 24. Ethiopia’s conflicts have roots in the end of nearly three decades of TPLF dominance. From 1991 to 2018, the group controlled the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), the ruling coalition that replaced the Marxist Derg regime.
Political Shifts and Military Campaigns
Protests in Oromia and Amhara brought Abiy Ahmed to power as prime minister in April 2018. That year, he ended the two-decade stalemate with Eritrea following the 1998–2000 border war, earning the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. On December 1, 2019, Abiy replaced the EPRDF with the Prosperity Party. The TPLF refused to join, retreated to Tigray, and held regional elections on September 9, 2020, defying a federal postponement. Addis Ababa declared the vote invalid.
Emerging Alliances and Ongoing Conflicts
On November 4, 2020, Abiy ordered a military campaign against the TPLF after accusing its forces of attacking a federal military base. Eritrean troops and Amhara militias, including Fano, fought alongside government forces. The two-year war ended with the November 2, 2022, Pretoria Agreement, which required Tigrayan forces to disarm and provided for an interim administration.
Other conflicts persisted or emerged. The Oromo Liberation Army had been fighting the government in Oromia since 2018. Fano, sidelined by the peace deal, launched a rebellion in Amhara in April 2023. The TPLF later split into rival factions and clashed with federal forces in early 2026.
New Alliance Seeks to Replace Abiy’s Government
On September 20, 2026, seven armed and opposition groups announced the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, seeking to replace Abiy’s government with an inclusive transitional administration. The alliance’s seven founding members include the Amhara Fano National Movement, TPLF, Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front, Benishangul Peoples’ Liberation Movement and Gumuz Peoples’ Democratic Movement. The Sidama National Liberation Front announced on September 25 that it would join.
Source: The Gateway Pundit
