Eight Ethiopian opposition groups form armed alliance, US report warns of war with Eritrea
A Congressional Research Service report says fighting has escalated in Tigray and Ethiopia has broken ties with Eritrea.
Ethiopia's internal conflict is spreading and the country may be heading toward war with Eritrea, according to a new Congressional Research Service (CRS) report. The CRS says eight opposition groups have formed an armed alliance against the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and that the overlapping rebellions threaten a wider regional conflict.
Fighting resumed in early August and escalated, with increasingly frequent drone strikes in Tigray. On September 20, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and six other groups announced the Alliance for Survival. In early October, Ethiopia broke ties with Eritrea and expelled an Egyptian diplomat, then accused Eritrea of moving troops into Tigray. Eritrea denied the allegation and framed it as a declaration of war.
Abiy has announced a caretaker government for Tigray and pledged elections there within six months, which the TPLF has rejected as illegitimate. In Washington, the administration waived restrictions under the Child Soldiers Prevention Act and ended the arms embargo from the earlier war. Sanctions on Eritrea's military and ruling party ended with the lapse of the Ethiopia-related national emergency.
Why it mattersTigray residents face continued drone strikes and a contested election window, while the Tigray government's authority is rejected by the TPLF.