Sudan rejects Ethiopia claims of backing Tigray forces

Sudan’s military has rejected accusations from Ethiopia’s army chief that Khartoum is supporting armed groups fighting Ethiopian federal forces in the north. The Sudanese Armed Forces described the allegations as “baseless” and said Sudan remained committed to international law and good-neighbourly relations.

Ethiopia accuses regional powers

Ethiopian army chief Field Marshal Birhanu Jula accused Sudan, Egypt and Eritrea of supporting forces opposed to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government. He said the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and Eritrean forces would struggle to mount an effective challenge without external support.

Fighting resumes in Tigray

The accusations come as fighting has intensified in northern Ethiopia between federal forces and Tigrayan forces. The renewed violence represents the most serious escalation since the 2020-2022 Tigray war, which ended with the Pretoria peace agreement.

New armed alliance formed

The TPLF has joined an alliance with six other armed groups from across Ethiopia. The coalition says it wants to remove Abiy’s government and establish a transitional administration, adding another dimension to the renewed fighting.

Ethiopia cites foreign support

Jula said Ethiopia was facing forces “organised and allied to serve the interests of external forces”. He argued that the armed groups could not sustain their campaign without foreign backing, although the Ethiopian military chief did not provide publicly verifiable evidence for the allegations.

Sudan makes counter-accusations

Sudan has previously accused Ethiopia of supporting the Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary group fighting Sudan’s army in the country’s civil war. Khartoum has also alleged that drone attacks were launched from Ethiopian territory, claims Addis Ababa and the United Arab Emirates have denied.

Previous accusations over Tigray

The latest dispute follows earlier accusations in May, when Ethiopia accused the Sudanese army of supporting TPLF-linked fighters. Sudan rejected that allegation, adding to the deterioration in relations between the two neighbouring countries.

Egypt and Eritrea remain accused

Egypt and Eritrea have also been named by Ethiopia as alleged supporters of forces opposed to the federal government. Neither country had publicly responded to the latest allegations at the time of reporting.

Tigray war left heavy death toll

The 2020-2022 conflict caused a major humanitarian crisis. African Union envoy Olusegun Obasanjo previously estimated that about 600,000 people may have died, although the overall death toll remains disputed and difficult to verify.

Regional tensions deepen

The renewed Tigray fighting is unfolding alongside Sudan’s continuing civil war, tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea and disputes involving Egypt over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. These overlapping disputes have raised concerns about wider instability in the Horn of Africa.

Fighting continues

Ethiopian pro-government forces claimed on Monday that they had captured the strategic town of Alamata in southern Tigray, although Reuters said it could not immediately verify the footage released by a pro-government militia. The development highlights the rapidly changing situation as fighting continues.