United Front of Ethiopian Federalist and Confederalist Forces

The United Front of Ethiopian Federalist and Confederalist Forces (UFEFCF) is a coalition of nine Ethiopian rebel groups, including the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), created in November 2021 during the Tigray War.[1][2][3]

United Front of Ethiopian Federalist and Confederalist Forces
Dates of operation5 November 2021–present
Group(s) TPLF
OLA
Gambella Peoples Liberation Army
ARDUF (Nov 2021–Jan 2022)
Agaw Democratic Movement
SNLF
BPLM
Somali State Resistance
Kimant Democratic Party
Active regionsEthiopia
IdeologyAnti-Abiy
Ethnic federalism
StatusActive
Opponents Ethiopia
 Eritrea
Battles and warsTigray War
Oromo conflict
Benishangul-Gumuz conflict

Creation

TDF–OLA alliance

In August 2021, Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) leader Debretsion Gebremichael and spokesperson Getachew Reda stated that the Tigray Defense Forces was in negotiations with the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) to cooperate in fighting against the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF). OLA spokesperson Odaa Tarbii stated that the two groups "share[d] intel and coordinate[d] strategy", and that the motivation for cooperation was "mutual understanding that Abiy's dictatorship must be removed".[1]

Nine-group alliance

By late October 2021, negotiations had extended to several smaller rebel groups.[2] On 5 November 2021, the alliance was announced to be composed of the following nine groups:[3]

The alliance was named the United Front of Ethiopian Federalist and Confederalist Forces.[3]

Following an offensive by the TDF in the Afar Region in early 2022, ARDUF quit the coalition.[4]

Aims

The alliance stated that its aim was to "dismantle Abiy's government by force or by negotiations, and then form a transitional authority."[1]

Reactions

Gedion Timotheos, the Ethiopian Minister of Justice,[5] called the 5 November announcement of the nine-group alliance a "publicity stunt" and claimed that some of the participating groups were "not really organisations that have any traction".[3]

References
  1. "Ethiopia's Tigray forces seek new military alliance". Thomson Reuters. 2021-08-11. Archived from the original on 2021-10-01. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
  2. Rynn, Simon; Hassen, Ahmed (2021-10-22). "Ethiopia: What Next?". Royal United Services Institute. Archived from the original on 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
  3. "Nine anti-gov't groups team up as Ethiopia recalls ex-soldiers". Al Jazeera English. 2021-11-05. Archived from the original on 2021-11-06. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
  4. "An Afar-based armed group parts its ways with TPLF-led alliance". My Views on News. 2022-02-01. Archived from the original on 2022-02-01. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
  5. "Update: Details of Ethiopia's State of Emergency proclamation". Addis Standard. 2021-11-02. Archived from the original on 2021-11-05. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
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