Ethiopia: TPLF, OLF Fighters Seize City near Capital

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On Thursday, the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF) fighters, in cooperation with the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), took control of the Ethiopian city of Kemise, which is located only 139 miles (223 km) from the capital, Addis Ababa.

Tigray's Foreign Affairs Office announced that the joint forces took control of kemise and are advancing together.  

TPLF said it had formed a military alliance with the OLF to jointly confront the Ethiopian government forces in the coming days and weeks, stating that the forces would advance towards Addis Ababa. 

As of Wednesday, reports stated that the joint forces had taken control of key sites, such as the city of Kombolcha, which is about 370 kilometers from the capital, meaning they have advanced a third of the distance to Addis Ababa.

In the context, two groups said in an announcement reported by Reuters that "9 anti-government factions in Ethiopia will form an alliance today", Friday, with mounting pressure on Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The OLF and the Ajaw Democratic Movement confirmed the authenticity of the announcement to Reuters.

In response to a question about the new anti-government coalition, Abiy's spokeswoman Billene Seyoum referred to a comment she posted on Twitter in which she defended Abiy's rule since taking power in 2018, following a wave of anti-government protests.

"Opening the political arena three years ago provided a great opportunity for the parties to settle their differences through the election fund in June 2021," Seyoum says in the publication without directly referring to the alliance. 

The central government declares a state of emergency

In the meantime, the central government declared a state of emergency in the country and asked the residents of the capital to bear arms and prepare to defend their neighborhoods, while countries and international institutions rushed to warn their citizens and employees of the deteriorating security situation in the country.

The conflict initially flared up between the federal government and TPLF, which has dominated political life in the country for decades, when Addis Ababa accused it of attacking army positions in the north last year and launched an extensive military campaign with the support of the Eritrean army.

The campaign has triggered international criticism over the violations, as it is estimated to have killed thousands, displaced millions, and caused a widespread humanitarian crisis, especially with the disruption of international aid access.

This summer, Addis Ababa quickly declared victory in the war after entering the Tigray capital, Mekele, following weeks of a campaign that saw restrictions such as disconnecting internet services and blocking access to journalists. After months of relative calm, things turned around in the northern part of the country this summer.

The front launched a counterattack in which it was able to capture Mekele and other vital sites, before expanding the scope of its attack to other places outside the region and forming military alliances targeting the central government.