Northern Ethiopia erupts in conflict after rebels form coalition

Violence has erupted in at least three northern Ethiopian regions, just days after several armed groups announced the formation of an alliance they said would oust Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration. The newly formed Alliance for Survival said it launched “large-scale defensive operations” on Wednesday in response to attacks by federal forces in Tigray, Afar and Amhara regions. It accused the government of cutting key public services in those areas. [caption id="attachment_57299131" align="aligncenter" width="2000"] An Ethiopian Airlines passenger jet. (Courtesy/Kola Suilamon/AFP/Getty Images)[/caption] Abiy’s government “has launched a large-scale ground and air offensive against our army and civilian population across multiple fronts,” the coalition said in a statement. Enatalem Melese, the government’s communications minister, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The Afar Regional Communication Bureau, a government agency in the northeastern area, accused the Tigray People’s Liberation Front of attacking civilians. The TPLF is in the opposition alliance that’s seeking to establish a transitional administration alongside Fano militia in Amhara, the Oromo Liberation Army and four smaller armed groups. “I am disappointed to see the leadership of the TPLF, that the United States sanctioned earlier this year, make the poor decision to launch a large-scale offensive today,” the US ambassador in Ethiopia, Ervin J. Massinga, said in a statement. Rejecting dialogue sponsored by the African Union and “engaging in an unwinnable fight does nothing for the people. Other armed groups would be wise to avoid this,” he said. Flights suspended Earlier in the day, Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to three destinations in Tigray, after reports that forces affiliated to the TPLF had taken control of the airport in the regional capital. That seizure “marks a significant escalation and heightens the chances of full-scale conflict breaking out,” said Edward Bach, a senior Africa analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft. A two-year conflict between TPLF forces and the federal government that ended with a peace agreement in November 2022, resulted in more than half a million deaths. This time round, the federal government is tactically stronger, having stocked up on drones, while the TPLF is more fractured and unlikely to have the same amount of heavy weaponry or personnel, Bach said. “If conflict resumes, the newly formed alliance of rebel groups is likely to stretch the federal government’s capacity across multiple fronts and force them to redirect soldiers to solidify positions in Amhara and Oromia,” he said. “This is likely to force the federal government to increasingly depend on its superior aerial capabilities, significantly increasing the risk to civilians.” Cargo Facts Symposium 2026, the premier event for the freighter aircraft and air cargo industries, will take place in Nashville, Tenn., on Oct. 21-23. Find out more and register here .

Northern Ethiopia erupts in conflict after rebels form coalition

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