Ethiopia’s army chief Field Marshal Birhanu Jula has accused Egypt and Sudan of supporting a new armed alliance seeking to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, as fighting intensifies in the north.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (Somali Report) — Ethiopia's army chief Field Marshal Birhanu Jula has accused Egypt and Sudan of backing a new alliance of armed groups seeking to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, as heavy fighting has erupted again in the country's north.
Birhanu said opponents of the federal government would be unable to achieve their objectives without being pushed, supported and supplied from abroad, singling out Egypt and Sudan.
He also accused neighbouring Eritrea of acting as a link between foreign governments and armed groups fighting inside Ethiopia.
The army chief provided no independent evidence to support the allegations. Egypt and Sudan have not officially responded to his remarks, while Eritrea has repeatedly denied accusations from Addis Ababa that it supports armed groups in Ethiopia.
His comments came a week after seven armed and political organisations announced a new alliance, the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, which said its objective was to remove Abiy's government and establish a transitional administration.
The alliance includes the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and the Amhara Fano National Movement.
Some of the groups were on opposing sides during Ethiopia's 2020-2022 war, but have now been brought together by their opposition to Abiy's government.
Fighting returns to northern Ethiopia
Birhanu's accusations come as fighting in northern Ethiopia has entered a new phase.
Tigrayan forces have reportedly taken control of several airports in the Tigray region this week, while clashes between Tigrayan forces and federal troops have also been reported in parts of neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions.
The federal government and the TPLF have blamed each other for triggering the latest violence and issued conflicting accounts of the clashes.
The renewed fighting has raised fears that Ethiopia could slide back into a conflict on the scale of the 2020-2022 war, which caused a major humanitarian crisis and killed large numbers of people.
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UN human rights chief Volker Turk on Friday said he was "deeply concerned" by the escalating violence and urged the Ethiopian government, the TPLF and their allies to immediately de-escalate tensions and prevent a return to full-scale war.
Egypt-Ethiopia Nile dispute
Ethiopia's accusations against Egypt also come amid renewed tensions between the two countries over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), built on the Blue Nile.
Egypt and Sudan have long sought a legally binding agreement governing the operation of the dam, particularly during prolonged droughts and over the release of water downstream.
Ethiopia maintains that the project is essential for electricity generation and economic development and says it will not significantly harm downstream countries.
The dam became operational after Ethiopia formally inaugurated the project in September 2025, despite the absence of a legally binding agreement with Egypt and Sudan.
Strained ties with Sudan and Eritrea
Relations between Ethiopia and Sudan have also deteriorated amid accusations over security issues and the war in Sudan.
Khartoum has previously accused Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates of involvement in drone attacks, while Addis Ababa has accused Sudan of providing weapons and financial support to fighters linked to the TPLF. The allegations have not been independently verified.
Ethiopia's relations with Eritrea have likewise deteriorated since the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement that ended the Tigray war.
Eritrean forces fought alongside Ethiopian government troops during the conflict, but ties between the former allies have since become increasingly strained amid disputes over regional security and Ethiopia's efforts to secure access to the Red Sea.
Addis Ababa now accuses Asmara of providing financial and other support to members of the new alliance opposing Abiy's government, allegations Eritrea has repeatedly rejected.
About the Author
Ahmed Omar is a senior journalist for Somali Report, based in Mogadishu. He has two decades of experience reporting on Somalia for international and local media. He covers politics, security, governance, business, trade, economic developments and regional affairs.
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