The key facts

  • Ethiopia claims the TPLF offensive was led by Eritrea with Egypt's support
  • The army says it repelled the attack; the accusations are not independently confirmed
  • Tension between Addis Ababa and Asmara is growing amid the struggle for access to the Red Sea

Accusations amid renewed fighting

Ethiopia's chief of general staff of the National Defense Forces, Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, said at a press conference that the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) had launched a fourth round of attacks on military positions in the Amhara and Afar regions. 'The offensive was led by Eritrea, while Egypt provided logistical support and military supplies,' he said, adding that the army managed to repel the attack.

Claims about a coalition and consequences for the population

According to Jula, Eritrea formed a coalition which, in his words, includes the TPLF, the Amhara Fano militia, the Oromo Liberation Front, Sudan and Egypt, and its goal was 'to destroy Ethiopia and overthrow the government.' He also stated that the attacking commanders fled to Eritrea after the defeat and are hiding in Adi Keyh, Mendefera and the capital Asmara. The military commander accused the Tigray authorities of forced mobilization of young people, claiming that about 800 thousand young people left the region to escape conscription.

Unverified claims and conflict context

The figures provided by the military, including the numbers of population displacement and the claims about Egypt's and Eritrea's involvement, could not be verified independently; both countries previously rejected Ethiopian accusations of interference and have not yet responded to the new statements. The accusations came amid renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia and a sharp deterioration in relations between Addis Ababa and Asmara, which were allies in the Tigray war of 2020–2022. Tension is also heightened by Ethiopia's attempt to secure access to the Red Sea: Eritrea accuses its neighbor of threatening its sovereignty and seeking sea access by force, which Addis Ababa denies. The escalation raises fears of a broader conflict in the Horn of Africa and international calls for restraint.