Sudan’s military has rejected allegations by Ethiopia’s army chief that Khartoum is supporting armed groups fighting the Ethiopian government in the northern Tigray region, describing the claims as baseless.
Ethiopian Army Chief Field Marshal Birhanu Jula on Sunday accused Sudan, Egypt and Eritrea of supporting forces engaged in fighting against federal troops as renewed clashes intensified in Tigray.
In a statement issued late Sunday, the Sudanese Armed Forces said it “categorically rejects these allegations and considers them baseless.”
The military added that Sudan remained committed to international law and the principles of good-neighbourly relations.
Tensions have escalated in recent months between Ethiopia’s federal government and authorities in Tigray, which was the scene of a devastating civil war between 2020 and 2022.
The renewed fighting involving the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and Ethiopian federal forces has raised fears of a return to the conflict, which African Union estimates say killed more than 600,000 people.
In remarks broadcast on the Ethiopian military’s YouTube channel, Jula said Ethiopia was confronting forces he described as being “organised and allied to serve the interests of external forces.”
He specifically accused Sudan, Egypt and Eritrea of providing backing to the forces.
“Neither Shaebia (Eritrea) nor the TPLF can achieve anything alone, even if they are allied, unless they are backed, supported and supplied by Sudan, Egypt and other external powers,” Jula said.
Egypt and Eritrea have not publicly responded to the allegations.
The latest accusations have further strained relations between Khartoum and Addis Ababa, with Sudan’s military also accusing Ethiopia of supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been fighting Sudan’s army since April 2023.
Khartoum has repeatedly alleged that drone attacks against its forces were launched from Ethiopian territory with the support of the United Arab Emirates. Both Ethiopia and the UAE have denied the allegations.
In May, Ethiopia accused Sudan’s military of backing TPLF-linked “mercenaries”, a claim Khartoum also rejected.
The competing accusations come amid wider regional tensions involving Sudan’s civil war and the fragile security situation along Ethiopia’s borders with Sudan and Eritrea.
