Eritrean Opposition CC Member Describes “Tsimdo” Coalition of Anti-Ethiopia Groups with Divergent Interests

Addis Ababa, August 16, 2026 (ENA) —“Tsimdo”, an alliance of anti-Ethiopia groups, is a coalition of divergent political interests united mainly by opposition to the Ethiopian federal government, the Eritrean Blue Revolution Front (EBRF) Central Committee member, Dawit Teferi, said.

In an exclusive Zoom interview with ENA, the Central Committee member noted that the alliance should not be understood primarily as a coalition built around a common territorial objective, but a cooperation between the alliance’s constituent groups despite their differences.

“The main players in that group have nothing in common except toppling the central government in Ethiopia,” Dawit said.

The alliance's immediate strategy, in his assessment, is to maintain pressure on the federal government and seek political change by bringing different groups together against it.

“The goal is to continue to destabilize the government, and hopefully bring government change by creating an alliance that constantly bleeds the government out.”

The Central Committee member argued that Tsimdo's strategy also depends on the Ethiopian government responding militarily in a way that could bring its members into a broader confrontation with the federal government.

The  the group could face greater internal contradictions if they are unable to draw the government into an open conflict, he underscored.

According to him, members of the alliance are not necessarily bound by a common long-term political objective but by largely tactical cooperation.

“None of them is committed to each other,” Dawit said, adding that the current cooperation is based largely on immediate strategic interests.

The Ethiopian government should therefore learn from previous conflicts and avoid allowing opposing groups to determine the terms of engagement.

The Central Committee member described Tsimdo as a serious development, but said he believes time and restraint could expose the alliance's internal divisions.

“The longer there is no open conflict, the weight of hate between these groups will end up causing them, all of them, to eat each other,” he stressed.

For Dawit, the alliance is also linked to the renewed relations between the TPLF and the Eritrean government.

The relationship between the two sides is rekindled despite their longstanding rivalry and differences, he noted, adding that the rapprochement should be understood in the context of changing regional political and security calculations.

The TPLF's objective extends beyond becoming a regional government in Tigray, he pointed out, saying that its goal is to regain its position as Ethiopia's ruling elite.

The Central Committee member said this explains the effort to rebuild an alliance similar to the one formed in 1991 that ousted the military government in Ethiopia.

However, Dawit stated that the actors involved do not appear to have taken sufficient account of the changes that have occurred over the past three decades.

He observed that “they don't seem to learn from history. They want to repeat history”.