Seven Ethiopian Rebel Groups Form Alliance as Government Again Turns to Drones in Tigray Fighting
Seven rebel groups from across Ethiopia have announced an alliance against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government, according to a BBC report, while The Africa Report says fighting with Tigrayan forces has escalated into a full-blown war and that Addis Ababa has once more turned to drones.
Ethiopia’s conflict is broadening as multiple armed movements join forces against the federal government and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed again relies on drones in the battle with Tigrayan forces.
A BBC report published about 19 hours before the 29 September summary said seven rebel groups from different parts of Ethiopia had announced a new alliance against Abiy’s government. Some of these organizations were previously rivals or operated separately, but now say they will coordinate their efforts.
This comes as fighting with Tigrayan forces intensifies. The Africa Report described the renewed clashes as a full-blown war and recalled that in late 2021, Tigrayan militias advanced to within about 200 kilometers of Addis Ababa. At that time, the federal government turned heavily to drones to help push them back.
According to the new reporting, Abiy’s government has again turned to drones as the conflict escalates. Armed drones can strike targets such as supply routes and command posts at distance, but their use in populated or fluid front-line areas raises the risk of civilian casualties.
For communities in contested regions, the combination of a broader rebel alliance and increased drone use points to a more intense and less predictable phase of the war, with shifting front lines and greater threats from airstrikes.
Key developments to follow include whether the seven-group alliance can carry out coordinated operations on the ground, how extensively federal forces employ drones in the coming weeks, and whether any regional or international actors move to mediate or pressure the parties toward a ceasefire.
Sources
- OSINT