Ethiopian Unity Patriots Front

Officially called the "Ethiopian Unity Patriots Front" (abbreviated "EUPF"), the organization is also known by a variety of similar names, including "Ethiopian Unity Patriotic Front", "Ethiopian United Patriotic Front" and "Ethiopian Patriotic United Front" ("EPUF"). The EUPF's armed wing is named "Ethiopian Unity Patriots Army". == History ==

Foundation and early activity The Ethiopian Unity Patriots Front was founded by ethnic Nuer ex-officials of Mengistu Haile Mariam's Derg regime. The rebel group's chairman, Thowath Pal Chay, was a ranking member of the Derg. He had served as Illubabor Province's governor in the 1980s, the province's security chief from 1981 to 1985, as Workers' Party secretary between 1985 and 1987, and as First Secretary for Western Ethiopia as well as member of both the National Security Defense Council and the National Assembly from 1987. At the time, he forged links with the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), a separatist rebel group active in neighboring Sudan. When Mengistu Haile Mariam's regime collapsed in 1991 as result of the Ethiopian Civil War, Pal fled abroad. He eventually settled in Kenya, and gathered several other former officials of the Derg to organize a rebellion against the new Ethiopian government under Meles Zenawi. The EUPF began its struggle around 1993. Over time, several peace talks between the EUPF and the Ethiopian government took place, mediated by South Sudan, Uganda, and Kenya. Most of these failed and that the EUPF fighters based in Sudan and Eritrea would peacefully return to Ethiopia. This deal was later criticised by elements of the EUPF who claimed that Pal had decided to agree before sufficiently consulting the rest of the rebel leadership. Pal dismissed these claims, stating that he was "not interested in killing among brothers who fought for their freedom with our support". South Sudanese intelligence officials reportedly arrested six EUPF members in May 2017, accusing them of being involved in illegal arms trade with South Sudanese Mathiang Anyoor militias. Thowath Pal Chay claimed that EUPF spokesman Pal Ojulu was responsible for the arrests. Ojulu responded by accusing Thowath Pal Chay of being behind these illegal deals, and of arming Anuak youths to prepare a new insurgency against the Ethiopian government. In late 2017, Pal accused the SPLM/A-IO of recruiting Ethiopians into their ranks and Riak of increasing regional tensions, while "fighting for destruction of South Sudan". A SPLM/A-IO spokesman denied these claims, and in response accused the EUPF of cooperating with Kiir's government. == Organization ==

General Thowath Pal Chay acts as the EUPF's chairman and commander-in-chief, and also serves as member of the group's leadership council. Colonel Pal Ojulu is the official spokesman. Since 2012, disputes have emerged between Thowath Pal Chay and the other commanders of the EUPF about the former's style of leadership. == Ideology ==

The EUPF has claimed to "believe in democracy and the rule of law", and stated that its intention is to ensure a unitary, peaceful, and an inclusionist Ethiopia. Pal has affirmed that his forces are vehemently opposed to the ethnic federalisation of Ethiopia under Zenawi, and the separation of Ethiopia and Eritrea. He has reasoned that federalism was problematic, as "some Ethiopians, nowadays, [...] don't consider themselves as Ethiopians. They consider themselves as ethnic communities of their own areas", leading to ethnic tensions and violence. Despite its official opposition to sectarianism, the EUPF is "purely a Nuer affair", and is generally fighting for Nuer interests. It rallied only a very small number of fighters from other ethnic groups to its cause during its insurgency. Most importantly, Eritrea provided some Oromo, Amhara and Tigrean recruits to the EUPF in 2004, and the rebel group also had a few militant Anuak among its ranks at the time. == References ==