Ethiopia’s army chief has accused Egypt and Sudan of supporting groups opposed to the federal government, as renewed tensions in Tigray raise fears of a return to conflict in the northern region.
Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, chief of staff of the Ethiopian National Defence Forces, alleged that foreign actors were equipping and supporting a newly formed alliance of armed and political opposition groups.
In remarks carried by the Ethiopian military’s media platform, Birhanu said the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and Eritrea could not pose a significant threat on their own without outside assistance. He named Egypt and Sudan among those allegedly providing support.
The report provided no independently verified evidence to substantiate the allegations and included no response from Cairo or Sudanese authorities.
His comments followed reports that Tigrayan forces had seized Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle, the regional capital, ending federal police control of the facility.
Security and local sources said the takeover occurred overnight. An airport employee said staff were instructed to evacuate and return home after being told Tigrayan forces had taken control.
A small contingent of federal police was reportedly inside the airport at the time. Their whereabouts and status remained unclear.
Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to Mekelle, Axum and Shire following the security developments.
The escalation coincided with the announcement of an alliance bringing together seven Ethiopian armed groups seeking to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government and establish a transitional administration.
The coalition, whose name translates as the “Alliance of Ethiopian People’s Forces for Survival,” includes the TPLF, the Amhara Fano movement and the Oromo Liberation Army, alongside groups from other regions.
The opposition groups accuse the federal government of expanding its authority at the expense of regional powers. The government says it is seeking to address internal conflicts through national dialogue.
Competing claims about foreign backing for the alliance remain unverified.
The developments have heightened concerns over the future of the November 2022 peace agreement that ended two years of war between the federal government and the TPLF.
The TPLF announced on Sunday that it had joined the six other armed groups in the coalition seeking a change of government in Addis Ababa.
