Ethiopia accuses Sudan and Egypt of backing Tigray rebels as fighting rages in the north
Field Marshal Birhanu Jula accused Sudan and Egypt of backing armed groups fighting federal troops; Sudan's army called the claims 'baseless' and counter-accused Ethiopia of hosting RSF support.
Ethiopia’s army commander has accused Sudan and Egypt of backing armed groups fighting its troops in the north of the country, after heavy clashes resumed between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the federal government.
Speaking on the army’s YouTube channel on Sunday, Field Marshal Birhanu Jula said the federal forces were “fighting forces that are organised and allied to serve the interests of external forces”, adding that they would not be able to achieve any gains unless they were “backed, supported and supplied by Sudan, Egypt and other external powers”.
The Sudanese military denied the allegations in a statement on Sunday, calling them “baseless”. Khartoum — which has been fighting a civil war against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since 2023 — counter-claimed that the RSF was receiving support from within Ethiopia’s territory, including training, supplies and drone activity.
Fighting between the TPLF and the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed resumed on Wednesday, raising fears of a return to the 2020–2022 civil war in which an estimated 600,000 people died. The TPLF has seized airports and launched attacks into the neighbouring states of Afar and Amhara, saying it was engaged in a “defensive war”.
According to AFP, TPLF fighters took control of the town of Erebti in Afar on Sunday and were advancing towards Afdera, about 100km to the east — part of a push aimed at cutting off supply lines from Djibouti. The headquarters of Tigrai TV in Mekelle was hit by a drone on Sunday, and phone and internet services in Tigray have faced major disruptions since Friday.
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