Ethiopia: Tigray forces form alliance with other armed organisations to oust PM Abiy Ahmed

Ethiopia's Tigray forces are forming an alliance with other armed and opposition organisations to push Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to step down after a year of catastrophic war.

The Tigray forces, who have been battling Ethiopian and allied forces, as well as the Oromo Liberation Army, and seven other organisations from around the country, signed the agreement in Washington on Friday, November 5, reported The Associated Press (AP). According to the US State Department, the fighters are approaching Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital.

The alliance is taking shape as US special envoy Jeffrey Feltman meets with senior government officials in Ethiopia's capital amidst calls for a rapid cease-fire and talks to end the war, which has claimed the lives of thousands of people since November 2020.

On Thursday, November 5, he met with the Deputy Prime Minister, as well as the defence and finance ministers, according to the US. However, it was unclear whether or not he would meet with Prime Minister Ahmed. In a statement released on Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for a cease-fire and discussions, and urged Tigray and Oromo Liberation Army fighters to "immediately halt the ongoing march into Addis Ababa".

He also encouraged Ethiopia's government to put an end to its military campaign, which includes airstrikes in Tigray and ethnic militia mobilisation. 

'New alliance wants to create transitional structure in Ethiopia'

According to Yohanees Abraha of the Tigray group, the new United Front of Ethiopian Federalist Forces wants to "create a transitional structure in Ethiopia", so that the prime minister can leave when it was feasible.

"Of course, meeting and communicating with countries, embassies, and international actors in Ethiopia and abroad will be the next step," he was quoted as saying by The AP.

According to him, the new partnership is both political and military in nature. He went on to say that it has had no contact with Ethiopia's authorities. Meanwhile, Ethiopia's government described the alliance as a "publicity stunt", claiming that some of the groups "are not truly organisations with any traction". It also claimed that life in the capital had a "sense of normalcy" and denied that the city was under siege. 

(With AP inputs)

Image: AP