Key Takeaways
- Ethiopian Army Chief Field Marshal Birhanu Jula alleges that a newly formed alliance of seven armed groups is a foreign-backed project designed to destabilize the nation.
- The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) has reportedly seized control of three regional airports, prompting Ethiopian Airlines to suspend flights to Mekelle, Axum, and Shire.
- Federal forces are utilizing drone strikes to repel rebel advances in the strategic town of Abala, as the conflict spreads into the neighboring Afar and Amhara regions.
- The United Nations and international observers warn of a return to full-scale civil war, threatening the fragile 2022 Pretoria Peace Agreement.
Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) Chief of General Staff Field Marshal Birhanu Jula has issued a stern warning against what he describes as "provocations" by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). Speaking on September 26, 2026, Jula asserted that the TPLF is attempting to drag the country into a "pointless war" through a new political-military coalition. He emphasized that these armed groups lack the internal capacity to confront the state without significant external support from "historical and contemporary adversaries."
The military chief’s remarks follow the formation of the Ethiopian Peoples' Forces Alliance for Survival, a coalition involving the TPLF, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), and the Amhara Fano National Movement. Jula characterized this alliance as a rebranded version of previous externally funded efforts to weaken Ethiopia's sovereignty. He specifically pointed to Eritrea as an intermediary for foreign powers, alleging that the neighboring state is supplying and managing the operatives of the new coalition.
On the ground, the security situation has deteriorated rapidly over the last 48 hours. Reports indicate that Tigrayan forces have seized control of key infrastructure, including regional airports, which has effectively halted commercial air travel in the north. In response, the ENDF has deployed combat drones to strike rebel positions in Afar and Southern Tigray. Analysts suggest that the scale of these operations indicates the 2022 peace deal has been effectively shattered, raising the risk of a humanitarian crisis similar to the 2020–2022 conflict which claimed an estimated 600,000 lives.
Despite the escalating violence, Field Marshal Jula maintained that the federal government is "exercising restraint" to avoid civilian suffering. However, he warned that the military's patience is not infinite and that the ENDF possesses the technological and organizational edge to "decisively respond" to any direct threat to national unity. The United Nations has expressed "grave concern" over the widening impact on civilians, as internet disruptions and road closures are already being reported across northern provinces.
Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications.