Ethiopia has accused Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of supporting armed opposition groups as fighting spreads in Tigray, Amhara and Afar, charges the three countries deny. Longstanding disputes — including the GERD row with Egypt and cross-border tensions involving Sudan and Eritrea — intensify the risk. Analysts say Addis Ababa may be seeking to rally domestic support by highlighting external threats, but warn that persistent mutual accusations could push the conflict beyond Ethiopia's borders.
Ethiopia Accuses Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of Backing Rebels as Fears of Regional Spillover Grow
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, the construction of which stoked fears in Cairo that Ethiopia could choke off the Nile River, September 9, 2025 [File:Tiksa Negeri/Reuters]
Renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia has led Addis Ababa to publicly accuse neighboring Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of supporting armed opposition groups — allegations each country has denied. Ethiopian Chief of Staff Birhanu Jula said the unrest stems from what he called Ethiopia's "historical and contemporary adversaries," naming Eritrea as a conduit linking the other states to armed factions inside Ethiopia.
Responses From Accused States
All three governments have rejected the claims. Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nader Zaki told Al Jazeera that Cairo's foreign policy is based on "full respect for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of states, and noninterference in the internal affairs of other countries." Major-General Samir Farag, a former Egyptian military official, also denied any Egyptian interference.
Sudan's military called the accusations "baseless" and in turn accused Ethiopia of supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been fighting Sudan's armed forces since 2023 — a charge Addis Ababa denies. Eritrea likewise dismissed the charges and has stressed it is not seeking to destabilize Ethiopia.
Historical Tensions and Context
Relations between Ethiopia and the accused states were already strained by longstanding disputes. Tensions with Egypt center on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a source of diplomatic friction since construction began and a flashpoint for concerns in Cairo about Nile water flows. Relations with Sudan have been tense amid accusations that Ethiopia has facilitated or tolerated RSF activity. Eritrea fought alongside Ethiopian forces against Tigrayan rebels during the 2020–2022 war, but ties with Addis Ababa cooled afterward as Eritrea voiced alarm over Ethiopia's moves to secure Red Sea access.
(Al Jazeera)
Domestic Politics and Analysts' Views
Some opposition figures and analysts say the government may be emphasizing foreign interference to unify public support behind the federal army. Mohamed Selim, deputy chair of the Egyptian parliament's African Affairs Committee, suggested the accusations aim to shift attention from Ethiopia's domestic challenges. Amani al-Tawil of the Al-Ahram Centre called the claims an "understandable attempt to escape from internal crises," noting that a newly announced seven-group opposition coalition poses a significant challenge to Addis Ababa.
Spillover Concerns
The recent fighting has spread from Tigray into the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions. Mohammed Hussein, chair of the Prosperity Party's Afar regional branch, estimated the combined population of those three regions at more than 38 million and noted that they border Djibouti and Eritrea — geography that raises the prospect of cross-border escalation.
Horn of Africa analyst Ammar Arki warned that if Ethiopia continues to frame its crisis primarily as an "external conspiracy," and if neighbors respond in kind, the risk that the conflict could spill across borders and evolve into a broader regional confrontation will grow.
Bottom line: Accusations and denials are escalating against a backdrop of unresolved regional disputes — most notably the GERD and tensions with the RSF — and analysts warn that sustained mutual recriminations could increase the danger of a regionalized conflict.
(Reporting includes statements given to Al Jazeera.)
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