ONLF Confirms Membership in Ethiopia’s New Alliance for Survival

GOOBJOOG NEWS | ADDIS ABABA: The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) has confirmed its membership in a newly formed alliance of seven Ethiopian opposition and armed groups, rejecting a rival statement issued in its name that denied the organisation had joined the coalition.

ONLF said its Central Committee had authorised participation in the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, which was formally announced on September 20 with ONLF listed among its seven founding members. The alliance brings together groups from several parts of Ethiopia, including the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, Oromo Liberation Army and Amhara Fano National Movement.

The organisation said its decision to join the alliance followed a process that began before the coalition was publicly announced, with ONLF Chairman Abdirahman Mohamed Sheikh Mahdi leading its delegation during consultations with other groups.

The alliance says it aims to coordinate the participating groups around what it describes as the collective defence of Ethiopia’s peoples, the removal of the current government and the establishment of an inclusive transitional administration followed by a constitutional process.

ONLF said the decision was consistent with resolutions adopted by its Central Committee in 2025 calling for closer cooperation with other Ethiopian opposition movements and an inclusive political transition.

The confirmation has also exposed a dispute over who has the authority to speak on behalf of ONLF.

A separate statement dated September 21 and issued in ONLF’s name said the organisation had not joined the alliance and remained a legally registered political party pursuing its objectives through peaceful political means under the 2018 peace agreement.

ONLF has rejected that statement, saying it was not issued by its recognised leadership or constitutional organs.

The organisation also disputed the authority of a rival structure in Jigjiga and alleged that Ethiopia’s National Election Board and the Somali regional administration had supported efforts to establish an alternative leadership. Those allegations were not independently verified.

The leadership dispute comes against the background of disagreements over the implementation of the 2018 peace agreement between ONLF and the Ethiopian government. ONLF signed the accord in October 2018 after years of conflict and subsequently pursued its political objectives through a registered political organisation.

ONLF has since accused the government of failing to implement key provisions of the agreement. In November 2025, its Central Committee endorsed a political roadmap calling for greater cooperation with other opposition groups.

The new alliance represents a significant development in Ethiopia’s fragmented political and security landscape, bringing together organisations that have previously pursued separate, and in some cases competing, agendas. Media outlets reported that the groups remain divided over territorial and political questions despite their common opposition to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.

The coalition’s formation comes amid renewed tensions in Tigray, continued fighting involving federal forces and armed groups in Amhara and Oromia, and broader concerns about the country’s political stability.

For ONLF, its confirmation of membership signals a further shift towards cooperation with other Ethiopian opposition forces, while the competing statements highlight an unresolved dispute over the organisation’s leadership and political direction.