Could the Ethiopia conflict engulf the region? Addis Ababa points fingers at three neighbours

ADDIS ABABA: The head of Ethiopia's army has accused three neighbouring states of backing the armed alliance fighting federal forces in the country's north, injecting a dangerous regional dimension into an escalating domestic war. Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, chief of the general staff of the Ethiopian National Defence Force, alleged over the weekend that Eritrea was mobilising financial support for the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). He suggested Eritrea and the TPLF would need backing from Sudan and Egypt, insinuating external interference — but offered no evidence to substantiate the claims. All three countries have rejected the allegations. Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nader Zaki said Cairo's policy was based on respect for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of states and non-interference in internal affairs, adding that Egypt remained committed to international law and the UN Charter. Former Egyptian military official Maj-Gen Samir Farag dismissed the claims as 'false'. Sudan's military called the accusations baseless — and counter-accused Ethiopia of supporting the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary, which has been fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces since 2023. Ethiopia has denied that charge. Eritrea has also denied Addis Ababa's claims. The accusations come as fighting has intensified across northern Ethiopia. TPLF fighters have captured several strategic towns, including Erebti in the northern Afar region, and fighting has spread into parts of Amhara. Doctors Without Borders reported a surge in wounded patients, with numbers at hospitals in Korem and Alamata rising from around 180 to more than 420 within 48 hours. Humanitarian sources estimate roughly 150,000 people have been displaced in Afar. The escalation has shattered what remained of the November 2022 Pretoria peace agreement that ended the 2020–2022 Tigray war. A new seven-group coalition, the Ethiopian Peoples' Forces Alliance for Survival — bringing together the TPLF, the Oromo Liberation Army, the Amhara Fano National Movement and others — has declared its intention to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government and establish a transitional administration. The regional stakes are high. Egypt and Ethiopia remain locked in a bitter dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam; Sudan's civil war has already poisoned its relations with Addis Ababa; and Eritrea, once an ally during the Tigray war, has drifted as Ethiopia pursues Red Sea access. Some analysts suggest the army chief's accusations serve domestic political purposes — consolidating support and distracting from internal crises. Whether foreign hands are involved or not, the guns are firing again, and the region is watching nervously.