Ethiopia blames Sudan and Egypt for backing Tigray rebels amid renewed northern fighting
Ethiopia’s army chief accused Sudan and Egypt of supporting Tigray rebel forces as clashes flare in the north.
Ethiopia’s top army commander, Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, asserted that Sudan and Egypt are providing arms and logistical support to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and its allied militias fighting government forces in the country’s north. The Sudanese armed forces dismissed the allegation as unfounded and turned the accusation around, claiming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are being aided from within Ethiopia.
Hostilities reignited on Wednesday, prompting fears of a return to the 2020-2022 civil war, while a drone strike damaged the headquarters of Tigrai TV and a communications blackout has hampered reporting in the region. The TPLF has seized several towns, including Alamata and Erebti, and is advancing toward key supply routes from Djibouti. The United Nations secretary-general’s office warned that drone attacks and civilian casualties are especially troubling. The conflict now involves a newly formed rebel coalition, the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, which aims to topple Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
Why it matters
The accusations could widen the regional war, drawing Sudan and Egypt deeper into Ethiopia’s internal conflict.
How this story developed
- Sep 18 Around 300 Tigray fighters surrender as tensions rise along the Tekeze corridor
- Sep 23 Local sources say Tigrayan forces took control of the main airport in the regional capital Mekelle from federal police. In response, Ethiopian Airlines announced on social media that flights to Mekelle and the nearby cities of Shire and Axum are suspended due to the situation. The seizure follows the recent formation of an alliance of the TPLF and six other armed groups that aim to topple Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government. Relations between the federal authorities and the Tigray People's Liberation Front have deteriorated since the 2020-22 war that left hundreds of thousands dead. Both sides have accused each other of breaching the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement.
- Sep 23 Ethiopian Airlines posted a flight suspension following the reported airport seizure.
- Sep 25 Federal forces and TPLF fighters clashed in Afar while a telecom blackout hit Tigray.
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