Ethiopia Army Chief Cites Eritrea, Sudan, and Egypt as Potential Pipeheads Supporting Tigray Rebels

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — The head of Ethiopia’s army warned that Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt are allegedly backing rebel groups that have seized several strategic towns in the north, highlighting growing concerns over a potentially expanding regional conflict.

Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, chief of the General Staff of the Ethiopian National Defence Force, on Friday accused Eritrea of mobilising financial support for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

He indicated that Eritrea and the TPLF would require assistance from Sudan and Egypt, signaling what could be perceived as external interference, though he offered no further specifics.

Historically, the TPLF and Ethiopian federal forces fought from November 2020 until November 2022, when a peace agreement was reached in Pretoria, South Africa. A caretaking administration aligned with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was installed in Mekelle, the Tigray capital, yet underlying tensions lingered as the TPLF pursued political dominance in the city.

Over the weekend, TPLF fighters captured the key strategic town of Erebti in northern Afar, according to an unidentified source reporting to The Associated Press on Monday. The individual chose anonymity, noting lack of authority to comment publicly.

An insider from the Tigray Peace Force — a splinter group previously linked with federal forces in Afar — confirmed that rebel forces assumed control of the town, while denying that heavy fighting had taken place.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported a sharp rise in the number of wounded patients needing medical attention across the north.

In the past 48 hours, patient numbers jumped dramatically: hospitals in Korem and Alamata increased from roughly 180 occupied beds to exceed 420, and Suhul Hospital in the northeast took on about 300 casualties last week.

Valerie Browning, co‑founder of the Afar Pastoralist Development Association, told The Associated Press that approximately 150 000 residents have been displaced.

Ethiopian authorities allege that the TPLF sought to forge an alliance with neighboring Eritrea in an effort to destabilise the nation. President Abiy Ahmed’s push to secure sovereign maritime access via the Eritrean port at Assab has reignited tensions with Eritrea, and his recent attempts to negotiate sea routes through Somaliland have exacerbated frictions with Somalia.

Eritrea responded by condemning Ethiopia’s shift in blame, with Information Minister Yemane Meskel asserting on social media that Ethiopia’s quest for sea access unsettled Eritrea and Somalia, and that hosting militia training for Sudan’s armed forces created additional discord.

A Sudanese Armed Forces spokesperson denied the accusations, stating that Ethiopia was actually extending support to militias battling the Sudanese army—a reference to the Rapid Support Forces that have been fighting since 2023.