Cairo denies Ethiopian army chief’s accusations of supporting opposition armed groups

Cairo has rejected accusations by Ethiopia’s army chief that Egypt supports armed groups fighting government forces, reaffirming its commitment to respecting state sovereignty and non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs.

Nader Zaki, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry’s official spokesman, said in a post on his official account that Egypt’s foreign policy “is based on firm principles, foremost among them respect for the sovereignty of states and their unity and territorial integrity, and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries”.

“Therefore, any claims that cast doubt on Egypt’s commitment to these established principles are null and void,” Zaki added.

The statement came after remarks by Ethiopian army chief Marshal Berhanu Jula, who accused Eritrea, Egypt, and Sudan of supporting armed groups fighting government forces in northern Ethiopia, amid renewed clashes in the Tigray region. 

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Jula said the Ethiopian army is facing forces that, according to his account, were “organised and allied to serve the interests of external powers”, accusing Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea of supporting the armed groups. Addis Ababa has also accused neighbouring countries of supporting armed groups fighting federal forces.

The accusations came as fighting resumed in northern Ethiopia, with clashes between federal forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), less than four years after a peace agreement ended the region’s 2020-2022 war. Ethiopian government-aligned forces said on Monday that they had taken control of the strategic town of Alamata in Tigray.

The military developments come amid continued tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), one of the main disputes between the two countries since construction began in 2011.

Cairo and Khartoum have called for a legally binding agreement on the rules for filling and operating the dam, while Addis Ababa maintains that it has the right to use its water resources for development.

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