Ethiopian rebel group forges alliance with Tigray forces
Ethiopia’s rebel Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) says it has agreed a military alliance with Tigrayan forces from the north of the country to fight the government.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has not made a statement on the pact but a spokesperson for the group confirmed the agreement to the Bloomberg news agency.
The government designated both groups as terror organisations in May.
An alliance between the OLA and Tigrayan forces could put further pressure on Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
The government has not only had to battle Tigrayan forces – it’s also facing a series of conflicts in different parts of the country.
The OLA, which is pushing for the self-determination of the Oromo people, has had limited military successes, but it’s made parts of the region very unstable.
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Most of the internal conflicts in Ethiopia have been isolated and based on local grievances – by forming an alliance the OLA and Tigrayan forces appear to be attempting to change that.
Recently, the federal government has suffered a series of defeats in northern Ethiopia losing territory to Tigrayan fighters.
It suspended a unilateral ceasefire and called on the federal army and its allies to end the destruction caused by the TPLF once and for all.
BBC
