Ethiopia accuses Sudan, Egypt and Eritrea of aiding Tigray forces

Ethiopia’s army chief, Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, accused Sudan, Egypt and Eritrea of supporting armed groups fighting federal forces in the country’s north, as renewed clashes between Ethiopian troops and Tigray forces raised fears of a wider conflict. The allegations have not been independently substantiated, and Sudan’s military rejected them as baseless. Jula said the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, or TPLF, and allied forces could not succeed without outside backing, support and supplies. Accounts of his remarks place them on Friday or Sunday, but all identify the same accusation. Sudan’s armed forces said they categorically rejected the charge and called on Ethiopia to pursue dialogue. Egypt and Eritrea had not publicly responded to Jula’s accusation in the reporting available. Sudan’s military made a counterclaim, alleging that Ethiopia was supporting its opponent, the Rapid Support Forces, in Sudan’s civil war. It accused Ethiopia of allowing training, supplies and military activity involving drones from its territory. Ethiopia has denied similar allegations in the past. The competing claims have not been independently verified.