Ethiopia has claimed that Egypt, Eritrea and Sudan are trying to destabilize it. An accusation that the governments of the three countries have rejected. And in the meantime, tension in North-East Africa continues to grow dangerously
The situation in North-East Africa is becoming increasingly tense. Tigrayan rebels are fighting in northern Ethiopia. In this context, the leaders of the Addis Ababa army have accused Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of supporting armed seditious groups within Ethiopian territory. This is a stance that triggered sharp reactions from the three governments involved.
The spokesperson of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Nader Zaki, has in fact rejected the accusations, maintaining that Cairo’s foreign policy is based on “full respect for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of states and on non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries”. “Egypt,” added Zaki, “fully respects the norms of international law and the United Nations Charter and rejects any practice that could undermine regional security and stability.” At the same time, the Sudanese army branded Addis Ababa’s accusations as “baseless”, also accusing the latter of supporting the Rapid Support Forces which have been fighting with the Khartoum army since 2023. Eritrea itself, for its part, has denied any involvement in the military tensions taking place within Ethiopian territory.
In short, not only does Ethiopia risk slipping into a new civil war after the one that ended in 2022. But the growing regional instability could lead to a more far-reaching conflict between Addis Ababa and Asmara. A conflict which, as we have seen, could involve, more or less directly, Egypt and the Sudanese armed forces. Eritrea notoriously fears the ambitions harbored by the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, who would like to guarantee his country direct access to the sea. At the same time, as we have mentioned, the Sudanese army accuses Abiy himself of supporting the Rapid Support Forces. Last but not least, the Egyptian government is annoyed that Addis Ababa wants to build new dams on the Nile. “Egypt will not allow the construction of further dams on the Nile,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty declared at the end of August.
In short, the conditions for a generalized conflict in the area appear to be there. And in the meantime, as we have seen, tension continues to rise dangerously. If the crisis in North-East Africa were to worsen, it would seriously risk intersecting with that of the Red Sea, where the Houthis, backed by Iran, are increasing their influence in a crescendo of fibrillations with Saudi Arabia. Let’s not forget, moreover, that Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea overlook the Red Sea. This is a disturbing scenario from both a humanitarian and economic point of view.
