The head of Ethiopia’s military has accused neighboring countries Eritrea, Sudan, and Egypt of supporting rebel forces amid renewed clashes in the northern region of the country, raising concerns about potential regional escalation.

Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, chief of the general staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Force, made the allegations on Friday, asserting that Eritrea was providing financial support to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). He further suggested that Eritrea and the TPLF were receiving assistance from Sudan and Egypt, although he did not provide specific details on the nature of this support.

The TPLF and Ethiopian federal forces previously engaged in a two-year conflict between November 2020 and November 2022. The fighting officially ended with a peace agreement signed in Pretoria, South Africa, followed by the appointment of a caretaker administration in Mekelle, the Tigray regional capital, widely considered loyal to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Despite the peace deal, political tensions persisted as the TPLF sought to maintain influence in the area.

In recent days, renewed fighting has erupted in northern Ethiopia. Over the weekend, TPLF fighters reportedly took control of Erebti, a strategically important town in the Afar region. A commander affiliated with the TPLF confirmed the capture to international news agencies but requested anonymity, citing lack of authorization to speak publicly.

A representative from the Tigray Peace Force, a faction that split from the TPLF and now aligns with federal forces operating in Afar, acknowledged the rebel advance in Erebti but downplayed the intensity of the fighting, denying reports of heavy clashes.

The accusations by Ethiopia’s military chief come as the security situation in the region remains volatile, with fears growing that the conflict could spread beyond Ethiopia’s borders. Eritrea has previously been accused of involvement in the Tigray conflict, while Sudan and Egypt have longstanding political interests in the area, particularly concerning shared water resources and border disputes.

None of the countries implicated in the accusations have issued immediate statements responding to the allegations, and the situation continues to develop amid a fragile ceasefire scenario in northern Ethiopia.