Ethiopia Army Chief Accuses Eritrea of Orchestrating Regional Alliance Against Ethiopia

November 14, 2026 | By Semahegn Nigatu

Ethiopia's military chief, Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, has accused Eritrea of coordinating a regional alliance aimed at weakening Ethiopia through internal conflict, arguing that the country's security challenges stem from external interference rather than demands for democracy.

Speaking during a meeting with community representatives in Mekelle, the chief of staff said Eritrea and what he described as its historical allies were seeking to prevent Ethiopia from emerging as a powerful regional competitor by fuelling internal divisions.

Birhanu traced the tensions between the federal government and forces in Tigray to developments before the outbreak of the 2020 conflict. He said the Ethiopian National Defence Force had faced restrictions on its movements in the region and that its commanders had been expelled from Mekelle airport.

He said the federal government subsequently withdrew its troops from Tigray to create an opportunity for peace, but fighting later resumed along the Afar and Kobo fronts.

According to Birhanu, the army halted its advance towards Mekelle during the third round of fighting when it was about 90km from the city to facilitate the Pretoria peace agreement. He said federal forces also withdrew from areas outside the border region as part of the process.

The military chief accused parties in Tigray of subsequently obstructing the implementation of the agreement, particularly the disarmament process and the return of internally displaced people. He also alleged that political disputes resulted in the removal of the seal and keys of the interim administration led by Getachew Reda and an attempted coup against Lieutenant General Tadesse Werede.

Birhanu further alleged that Eritrea coordinated a coalition involving Fano, the Oromo Liberation Army, Sudan and Egypt, which he said launched a fourth offensive against Ethiopia.

He said the Ethiopian military subsequently advanced through Tigray to the Eritrean border, arguing that allowing armed forces to operate in the region without intervention would have repeated earlier security failures.

The army chief claimed that groups involved in the fighting had been defeated and that their members were now based in Adi Quala, Mendefera and Asmara in Eritrea.

He maintained that the central objective of what he described as external efforts to destabilise Ethiopia was to encourage conflict among Ethiopians and prevent the emergence of a powerful regional competitor.

Source: FSX Business News