Sudan’s War Caught in the Ethiopia-Eritrea Crossfire

**Sudan’s Civil War Draws in Ethiopia‑Eritrea Rivalry, Raising Regional‑Security Concerns**

*Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – 2 September 2026* – Diplomatic sources say the ongoing conflict in Sudan is becoming increasingly entangled with the long‑standing rivalry between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The growing involvement of the two neighboring states has prompted fears that renewed tensions between Addis Ababa and Asmara could broaden the Sudanese war into a wider regional confrontation.

### Growing Ethiopian Concerns Over Sudanese Alliances

Three officials familiar with the region’s diplomacy told *Ayin Network* that Ethiopian authorities have expressed mounting worry about Sudan’s military and political ties with Eritrea, Egypt and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). They accuse the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) leadership of interfering in Ethiopian security affairs. At the same time, evidence suggests that Ethiopian officials may be supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the main opposition to the SAF, as a counterweight.

In a July address to the 30th regular session of Ethiopia’s House of People’s Representatives, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed warned that “Ethiopia has no fear of any alliance involving Eritrea, the TPLF, and Sudan, even if other actors join them.” He added that “Tigrayan youth are being sold into the Sudan war after being taken by force” and that young people from Tigray were “losing their lives in a conflict they know nothing about.” An open‑source data analyst has suggested that Eritrea’s Massawa Airport may have served as an entry point for arms shipments to the Sudanese army and Tigrayan fighters, although *Ayin* has not independently verified this claim.

### Arms Build‑Up at Ethiopian Bases

The Yale Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) reported a spike in activity and arms at the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) base in Asosa. HRL identified 100 newly arrived light technical vehicles at the base in less than a week, a six‑fold increase from previous levels. The lab estimates that the new vehicles could support a brigade capable of carrying 750 to 1,000 soldiers. HRL warns that the RSF is more likely to launch an imminent attack on Damazin, the capital of Blue Nile State, because of this armament buildup.

### Expert Analysis

Jonas Horner, a visiting fellow with the Africa Programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told *Ayin* that the military infrastructure being developed on both sides of Sudan’s borders risks linking the Sudanese conflict directly to tensions between Addis Ababa and Asmara. “With Eritrea providing training camps and shelter for SAF and its allies and Ethiopia appearing to provide training camps and rear bases for the RSF and its allies, Sudan’s conflict could readily become intertwined with tensions between Asmara and Addis Ababa,” Horner said. He warned that a direct Ethiopian‑Eritrean confrontation would “instantly regionalise Sudan’s own war,” expanding the battlefield across Sudan’s eastern borders and complicating any negotiated outcome.

Kholood Khair, founding director of Confluence Advisory, noted that the issue is not new. “Ethiopia has long been concerned about armed groups operating from Sudanese territory, particularly groups associated with the TPLF,” Khair said. He added that the current situation differs mainly in the number of external powers involved and the scale of resources being channeled into competing networks.

### Movement of Former Sudanese Security Chief

Article source: allafrica.com | Image credit: Remembering Eritrea-Ethiopia border war: Africa’s unfinished conflict