Ethiopia\u2019s military chief, Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, has accused Tigrayan leaders of crossing into Eritrea as fighting continues between federal forces and their opponents. He also alleged that weapons intended for Tigrayan forces were seized after being transported through Eritrea\u2019s port of Massawa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking in Addis Ababa during the 119th anniversary of Ethiopia\u2019s Defence Forces, Birhanu said federal forces and their allies had captured towns in the Tigray region following fighting that began on February 13.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Birhanu also accused Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea of supporting an alliance of seven Ethiopian opposition groups, including the Tigray People\u2019s Liberation Front (TPLF), the Amhara movement and the Oromo Liberation Front. The alliance has announced plans to establish a transitional government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The countries accused of supporting the alliance have rejected the allegations. The TPLF and the Eritrean government have also denied claims that TPLF officials crossed into Eritrea. The TPLF said its leadership remains inside Tigray, while Eritrea denied supporting armed groups operating within Ethiopia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tigrayan forces described their withdrawal as a military tactic, saying it did not mean they had abandoned their positions in northern Wollo and the Afar region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In his address, Birhanu also described the Nile River as a natural resource belonging to Ethiopia and said Ethiopians should have access to the Red Sea. Eritrea, meanwhile, has accused Ethiopia of seeking to seize control of Red Sea waters by force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With fighting continuing and tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea remaining high, concerns persist over the possibility of the conflict escalating into a wider confrontation between the two countries.<\/p>\n\n