Ethiopian rebels urges US to adopt 'balanced' position on conflict

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - An Ethiopian rebel coalition on Monday urged the US to adopt a balanced position on the Horn of Africa nation's escalating conflict.

In a statement, the Ethiopian Peoples' Forces Alliance for Survival urged Washington “to pursue a balanced and constructive stance on the whole conflict so as to contribute to enduring peace in Ethiopia."

The alliance includes the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Amhara Fana National Movement, which have been fighting government forces since renewed hostilities erupted in September.

The statement came following remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week during a phone call to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, describing the rebels as separatists and their military campaign as terrorism.

The coalition challenged Washington's characterization of its armed campaign, insisting that its objective was not to break up Ethiopia but to establish an inclusive democratic political system.

It argued that its military activities were a response to the failure of efforts to resolve political disputes peacefully, including initiatives based on the November 2022 Pretoria agreement that ended the previous war in Tigray.

The alliance also rejected the classification of attacks on government military installations as terrorism, accusing Abiy's administration of misrepresenting the nature of the conflict.

The coalition accused Ethiopian government forces of deploying advanced weapons against opposition positions and densely populated civilian areas. The allegations could not be independently verified.

- Government blames rebels for obstructing efforts to peace

The Ethiopian government, however, has blamed the Tigray rebels for the renewed conflict, accusing it of obstructing efforts to implement the Pretoria peace agreement and repeatedly returning to armed confrontation.

In its latest official statement, issued Friday, the prime minister's office said previous attempts to resolve the dispute peacefully had failed, prompting the federal government to establish a new caretaker administration in Tigray.

The administration has been given six months to restore security, rebuild damaged infrastructure, resume public services and prepare the region for elections.

"The people of Tigray must emerge from the agony of conflict to reclaim their distant peace, reaffirm their right to self-administration, and be able to heal the developmental setbacks they have suffered over the many past years," the prime minister's office said.

The government also called for armed fighters to lay down their weapons and return to civilian life, with federal and regional security institutions tasked with restoring stability.

Meanwhile, TPLF rebels reportedly recaptured Dengolat, a town approximately 25 kilometers (16 miles) from Mekelle, the capital of Ethiopia's northern Tigray region.

US-based opposition-aligned Anchor Media reported that rebel fighters launched an attack along the Temben-Mekelle road on Sunday, capturing the town and seizing more than 20 Ethiopian military vehicles.

The outlet also reported casualties among government troops and the capture of several soldiers, although the claims could not be independently verified.

The Ethiopian government has not publicly responded to the reported battlefield developments.

Federal troops and allied Tigray Peace Force fighters had previously seized Mekelle and several strategic towns during a military offensive following the resumption of fighting in late September.

The renewed conflict has further undermined the Pretoria peace agreement and heightened tensions between Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea, with both governments exchanging accusations of military aggression.

The developments come amid growing international concern that continued fighting could destabilize the wider Horn of Africa, where regional tensions and unresolved political disputes have complicated efforts to restore peace.

Andrew Wasike