Ethiopia accuses Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of supporting TPLF-aligned Tigray forces as renewed fighting intensifies across northern Ethiopia, widening concerns that the conflict could draw in neighboring and regional powers.
Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, chief of staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Force, accused Eritrea of financing TPLF-aligned forces and alleged that Sudan and Egypt were also providing support፣ according to AP reporting.
The accusations come as federal forces and their allies continue military operations on several fronts in Tigray, Amhara and Afar.
Birhanu argued that TPLF-aligned forces could not sustain their current military operations without external assistance. The claims have not been independently verified.
Eritrea has rejected Ethiopian allegations that it is supporting forces seeking to destabilize the country, while Sudan has also denied Ethiopia’s accusations.
The latest remarks deepen an already serious regional dispute. Ethiopia previously accused Eritrea of financing an alliance of armed groups opposed to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
Sudan rejects Ethiopian accusations
The dispute has also expanded into relations between Ethiopia and Sudan.
Sudan’s military rejected accusations that it was supporting armed groups fighting the Ethiopian government and, in turn, accused Ethiopia of facilitating support for Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Sudanese authorities alleged that Ethiopian territory had been used for training and supplying the RSF, including activities involving drones. Ethiopia has not publicly accepted those accusations.
The competing claims add another layer of tension between two neighboring countries already affected by instability along their shared border and the continuing war in Sudan.
Egypt’s inclusion in Birhanu’s accusations is also significant because relations between Addis Ababa and Cairo have long been strained over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and wider questions of regional security and influence.
No independently verified evidence establishing Egyptian support for TPLF-aligned Tigray fighters has been publicly presented.
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Fighting continues across northern Ethiopia
The accusations come amid major changes on the battlefield.
Federal forces and allied fighters have now taken control of Alamata, according to Reuters, marking a significant development after Kulu Media previously reported that government forces were advancing toward Alamata.
Reuters said video published by the Tigray Peace Force and verified by the news agency showed fighters in Alamata carrying Ethiopian flags.
Alamata lies on an important north-south route toward Mekelle, giving developments around the town strategic significance as fighting continues farther north.
The situation is also deteriorating in neighboring Afar, where TPLF-aligned Tigray fighters have reportedly seized towns during an eastward offensive.
The renewed fighting has increased humanitarian concerns and triggered new international diplomatic pressure.
Six U.S. senators have urged stronger action from Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the conflict escalates, while the European Union has called for urgent de-escalation and increased its humanitarian assistance for Ethiopia.
The African Union has also renewed mediation efforts aimed at preventing the conflict from expanding further.Birhanu’s accusations against Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt now add a broader regional dimension to the crisis. With fighting continuing across northern Ethiopia and neighboring governments trading allegations of interference, concerns are growing over the possibility of the conflict becoming increasingly intertwined with existing tensions across the Horn of Africa.
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Birhanu’s accusations against Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt now add a broader regional dimension to the crisis. With fighting continuing across northern Ethiopia and neighboring governments trading allegations of interference, concerns are growing over the possibility of the conflict becoming increasingly intertwined with existing tensions across the Horn of Africa.
