Armed groups unite to try to overthrow the Ethiopian government

Warring armed groups that killed thousands of people — and fought each other in bloody battles — have now united to try to overthrow Ethiopia’s government. Ethiopia is the most populous country in east Africa, with over 140 million people. It faces rebellions among many of the country’s ethnic groups.

The armed groups that just agreed to unite include a Tigray militia that fought Ethiopia’s government in a civil war that killed 600,000 people between 2020 and 2022, and an Amhara ethnic militia set up to fight that Tigray militia, which later turned against the Ethiopian government that armed it:

Seven Ethiopian armed groups have formed an alliance aimed at overthrowing the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

The groups announced the alliance on Sunday, saying that they would work together to set up an inclusive transitional government.

“We have established a joint alliance called the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, known in short as the Alliance for Survival,” the groups said in a joint statement.

The alliance includes the Amhara Fano National Movement, a coalition of Fano factions that has fought federal forces in the Amhara region since 2023; the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades before Abiy took office; and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), which has fought federal forces in Oromia since 2018.

Four smaller groups – the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front (Ugugumo), the Benishangul Peoples’ Liberation Movement and the Gumuz Peoples’ Democratic Movement – make up the rest.

Ethiopia’s government keeps arresting journalists and bloggers, contrary to its constitution.

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Ethiopia’s government has begun work on Africa’s largest airport.

But the U.S. State Department warns people not to travel to Ethiopia outside its capital area, even though Ethiopia has strikingly beautiful mountains:

Reconsider travel to Ethiopia due to sporadic violent conflict, civil unrest, crime, communications disruptions, terrorism and kidnapping in border areas.

Do Not Travel To:

• Tigray Region and border with Eritrea due to sporadic violent conflict, civil unrest, and crime.
• Afar-Tigray border areas due to sporadic violent conflict, civil unrest, and crime.
• Amhara Region due to sporadic violent conflict and civil unrest.
• Gambella and Benishangul Gumuz Regions due to crime, kidnapping, ethnically motivated violence, and sporadic violent conflict
• Oromia Region – Specific areas due to sporadic violent conflict, civil unrest, and ethnically motivated violence.
• Southern Nations and National People (SNNP) Region due to sporadic violent conflict, civil unrest, and ethnically motivated violence.
• Border area with Somalia due to terrorism, kidnapping, and landmines.
• Border areas with Sudan, and South Sudan due to crime, kidnapping, civil unrest, and sporadic violent conflict.
• Border areas with Kenya due to the potential for terrorism and ethnically motivated violence.

Chinese solar panels are being shipped through Ethiopia to avoid U.S. tariffs on China.

Ethiopia is exporting offal to the Middle East to grow its economy.