Full Breakdown
Ethiopia’s Army Chief Accuses Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea of Backing Rebel Alliance
By Drooid · · How we work
Renewed Fighting and the Alleged Foreign Backing
Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, chief of the Ethiopian National Defense Force, said armed groups seeking to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government could not succeed without “backed, supported and supplied” assistance from Sudan, Egypt and other external powers. He made the claim amid fresh clashes in the north, where the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and allied militias have seized towns and airports in Tigray, Amhara and Afar. Fighting intensified on 24 September 2026, when residents were seen moving through Mekelle as combat continued.
Background: Alliance of Armed Groups and Regional Tensions
A coalition of seven armed movements announced a joint effort to remove the federal government, including the TPLF, the Oromo Liberation Army and the Amhara Fano National Movement. The alliance follows a period of uneasy peace after the 2020-2022 Tigray war, during which Eritrean troops fought alongside Ethiopian forces. Relations with Eritrea have soured, and disputes over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) have strained ties with Egypt and Sudan. Ethiopia’s bid for access to the Eritrean port of Assab and outreach to Somaliland have further heightened regional friction.
Data on Displacement, Casualties and Hospital Surge
- Médecins Sans Frontières reported patients in Korem and Alamata hospitals rose from roughly 180 to over 420 within 48 hours, while about 300 wounded arrived at Suhul Hospital last week.
- An estimated 150,000 people have been displaced by the renewed clashes.
- Researchers at Ghent University estimated the civilian death toll from the earlier Tigray conflict at 500,000.
- The Ethiopian army claimed it had killed 272 TPLF fighters and captured 260 more, though these figures have not been independently verified.
Official Statements & Responses
- Yemane Meskel, Eritrean Information Minister, posted on X that Ethiopia’s pursuit of sea access and alleged support for militia training had “rattled” Eritrea and its neighbors.
- A spokesperson for the Sudanese armed forces rejected Ethiopia’s accusations, stating that Ethiopia was instead offering support to militias fighting the Sudanese military.
- Ethiopia’s Water and Energy Ministry said Sewilam’s remarks reflected a “crude colonial mentality” and defended the dam’s importance for national development.
- Volker Türk, UN human-rights chief, called for an urgent end to the fighting.
- The African Union urged all parties to de-escalate immediately and resume direct talks, noting that recent airport seizures violated commitments under the 2022 Pretoria Agreement.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- The Ethiopian army’s casualty figures for TPLF fighters have not been independently corroborated.
- No concrete proof has been offered by Birhanu Jula to substantiate alleged financial or logistical support from Sudan, Egypt or Eritrea.
- While Ghent University’s estimate of 500,000 civilian deaths pertains to the earlier war, no updated civilian-impact statistics have been released for the current round of fighting.
