Ethiopian Government Fights Alliance Seeking to Overthrow Abiy Ahmed
The Ethiopian National Defense Force is advancing on Mekelle after a rebel alliance including the TPLF launched an offensive to overthrow the federal government.
Large-scale fighting erupted in northern Ethiopia on September 23, 2026, after the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and six other armed groups, including the Amhara Fano National Movement, formed an alliance to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government. The escalation follows the collapse of the 2022 Pretoria Agreement, driven by unresolved territorial disputes and a power shift toward a hardline TPLF faction led by Debretsion Gebremichael.
Tigrayan forces initially seized airports in Mekelle, Aksum, and Shire, and advanced into the Afar region near Erebti. In response, the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) seized the strategic town of Alamata on September 27. Hospital sources report at least 52 civilians died in Alamata during heavy fighting, while the ENDF continues its push toward Mekelle.
The conflict has spread to the Amhara region, where clashes between the army and Amhara militia have stranded foreign tourists in Lalibela. To combat the unrest, the federal government suspended internet and banking services in Tigray, freezing the accounts of Tigrayans living abroad. Medecins Sans Frontiers reported admitting over 700 wounded people to hospitals in the region, while the International Committee of the Red Cross has evacuated approximately 160 individuals.
