TPLF-Led Alliance Launches Offensive to Oust Abiy Ahmed
The Tigray People's Liberation Front and a coalition of armed groups launched an offensive against the Ethiopian government, shattering a 2022 peace agreement and sparking widespread fighting.
Renewed hostilities erupted in northern Ethiopia on September 23, 2026, after the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) formed the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival. This coalition, which includes the Amhara Fano National Movement and the Oromo Liberation Army, aims to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and establish a transitional administration. TPLF forces seized airports in Mekelle, Axum, and Shire, prompting Ethiopian Airlines to suspend all flights to the region. The offensive expanded into the Afar and Amhara regions, with rebels capturing the town of Erebti to threaten trade corridors from Djibouti.
The Ethiopian National Defense Force responded with counter-offensives, claiming to have killed over 700 rebel fighters. Government troops captured the strategic supply hub of Alamata on September 27, where hospital sources reported at least 52 civilian deaths. Fighting also reached the UNESCO site of Lalibela, stranding foreign tourists. The federal government has since suspended banking and internet services in Tigray, which Netblocks confirmed as a subnational disruption.
International observers and human rights organizations have warned of a return to the devastating 2020-2022 civil war. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk condemned reports of airstrikes on schools and the forced recruitment of children. The African Union has appointed former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to lead diplomatic efforts to restore the 2022 Pretoria Agreement. Meanwhile, Ethiopia's military leadership has accused Eritrea, Sudan, and Egypt of funding the rebel alliance, claims which those nations have denied.
