Ethiopia Accuses Sudan, Egypt of Supporting Tigray Rebels

Ethiopia’s army commander, Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, has accused Sudan and Egypt of backing armed groups fighting government forces in Tigray, as clashes between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front intensify. Jula alleged that external powers were providing supplies and support to forces opposed to Ethiopia. Sudan’s military rejected the claim as baseless and countered that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces receive training, supplies, and drone support from Ethiopian territory. Fighting recently resumed between the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan forces after years of relative calm, raising concerns about a return to the country’s devastating 2020–2022 civil war. The TPLF has seized airports and pushed into Afar and Amhara, reportedly targeting supply routes from Djibouti, which handles most of Ethiopia’s imports. The TPLF’s new alliance with six other armed groups aims to topple Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.