Ethiopia Accuses Eritrea, Sudan of Arming Tigray Rebels as Fighting Intensifies

Ethiopia's army chief, Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, publicly accused Eritrea and Sudan on Sunday of supporting the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) in its fight against federal forces. He said the rebel group was being organized and supplied to serve outside interests, arguing that neither Eritrea nor the TPLF could achieve anything without backing from Sudan, Egypt and other foreign powers.

Heavy fighting has resumed since Wednesday between the TPLF and government troops in northern Ethiopia, reviving fears of a return to the 2020-2022 civil war that is estimated to have killed around 600,000 people. The TPLF has captured several airports and pushed into the neighboring Afar and Amhara regions, describing its actions as a defensive campaign against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government.

A humanitarian source reported that the Afar town of Erebti fell to rebel forces on Sunday following a heavy artillery bombardment, with TPLF fighters now advancing toward the town of Afdeera, roughly 100 kilometers away. At least 150,000 people are estimated to have been displaced in the Afar region, though exact figures remain difficult to confirm.

The TPLF has formed alliances with seven other armed groups and appears to be repeating a wartime strategy of pushing south through Amhara toward the capital, Addis Ababa. Its offensive in Afar is aimed at severing supply routes through Djibouti, which handles nearly all of Ethiopia's international trade, including fuel imports.

On Sunday, a drone strike hit the headquarters of Tigrai TV in Mekelle, the regional capital, damaging the building's facade and blowing out numerous windows. No casualties have been reported. The federal government had already suspended the broadcaster's operations on September 21.

Telecommunications and internet services in Tigray have been disrupted since Friday, hampering efforts to report on the conflict. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern over drone strikes and harm to civilians. While the federal government holds a significant military advantage, including a large drone arsenal and around 500,000 troops, the conflict risks drawing in Eritrea, which fears Ethiopia may be seeking access to the Red Sea.