Ethiopia’s government has denounced a military alliance between two rebel forces – the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA).
It says the agreement shows they are working in unison against the stability of the nation.
The two armed groups are engaged in separate conflicts with the government but say they will now share battlefield information and fight in parallel.
The authorities in Addis Ababa say they are not surprised by the public statements from the groups.
The spokesperson for Ethiopia’s prime minister says it proves the government’s longstanding claims that some of the country’s rebel groups have been working together.
It accuses the TPLF of mobilising various factions including the OLA to destabilise Ethiopia leading to a spike in intercommunal violence and the mass displacement of people.
The TPLF, which has been designated a terrorist organisation by the government but says it is the legitimate regional government of Tigray, has denied the allegations.
For now, the alliance between the two groups risks deepening the ongoing conflict in northern Ethiopia which has forced two million people from their homes and left more than five million in need of humanitarian assistance.
Catherine Byaruhanga – BBC News, Nairobi