Ethiopia’s army chief accuses Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of supporting Tigray rebels

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia -- The head of Ethiopia’s army suggested neighboring Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt were supporting rebel troops who have captured several strategic towns in renewed fighting in the north, drawing denials as the threat of a widening regional conflict grew on Monday. Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, chief of general staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Force, on Friday accused Eritrea of mobilizing financial support for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, or TPLF. The TPLF and Ethiopian federal troops waged war between November 2020 and November 2022, when a peace deal was signed in Pretoria, South Africa. A caretaker administration seen as loyal to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was installed in Mekelle, the Tigray capital. But tensions remained, with the TPLF maneuvering for political control in Mekelle.TPLF fighters over the weekend captured the key strategic town of Erebti in the northern Afar region, a commander told The Associated Press on Monday. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorize to speak to media. An official with the Tigray Peace Force, a breakaway faction of Tigray rebels now allied with federal forces in Afar, confirmed th...