Ethiopia has accused Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of backing armed opposition groups, amid renewed fighting in the country’s north and concerns over possible wider regional involvement.
Ethiopian Army Chief, Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, made the allegations over the weekend, attributing the country’s unrest to what he described as “Ethiopia’s historical and contemporary adversaries.”
Jula accused Eritrea of acting as a link between external powers, including Sudan and Egypt, and armed groups operating inside Ethiopia.
He did not provide evidence to substantiate the allegations.
The accusations come as fighting has intensified in northern Ethiopia, particularly in Tigray, Amhara and Afar regions, following renewed clashes involving federal forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and its allies.
Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt have rejected the allegations.
Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Nader Zaki, said; “Egypt’s foreign policy was based on respect for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of states and non-interference in their internal affairs.”
Zaki said; “Egypt remained committed to international law and the United Nations Charter and rejected practices that could undermine regional security and stability.”
Former head of the Egyptian Armed Forces’ Morale Affairs Department, Major-General Samir Farag, also described the allegations against Egypt as ‘false,’ saying “it was not the country’s policy to interfere in the internal affairs of regional states.”
Sudan’s military dismissed the allegations as baseless and accused Ethiopia of supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces since 2023. Ethiopia has denied the allegation.
Regional tensions
Relations between Ethiopia and the three countries have been strained by longstanding disputes.
Ethiopia and Egypt remain at odds over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile, while tensions between Ethiopia and Sudan have also increased amid Sudan’s ongoing civil war.
Relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have deteriorated since the 2020–2022 Tigray conflict, in which Eritrean forces fought alongside Ethiopian federal troops against the TPLF.
The renewed fighting has raised concerns over wider instability in the Horn of Africa, where tensions over security, Sudan’s civil war and access to the Red Sea remain significant regional issues.
Aljazeera/Shakirat Sadiq
