Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, right, wearing a ceremonial cape presented to him in Mekelle, in a photo shared on X on November 14, 2026. Credit: GuddataaJ82720 on X.
Ethiopia’s army chief, Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, said on Saturday that Eritrea led a new offensive by Tigrayan forces against federal positions in Amhara and Afar, with Egypt providing weapons and logistics.
Speaking at a press conference, Birhanu said the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) had launched what he called a fourth round of attacks and that federal forces repelled it. “The offensive was led by Eritrea, with logistical support and military supplies provided by Egypt,” he said, according to Anadolu Agency. He claimed the commanders of the attacking forces fled to Eritrea and were sheltering in Adi Keyh, Mendefera and Asmara.
The army chief also accused Asmara of building a coalition of the TPLF, Fano forces, the Oromo Liberation Front, Sudan and Egypt in order to “destroy Ethiopia and overthrow its government,” and said up to 800,000 young people had fled Tigray to escape forced recruitment by its authorities. None of these claims could be independently verified. Eritrea and Egypt have rejected similar accusations before and did not respond on Saturday.
The remarks came a day after Birhanu visited Mekelle, where government aligned accounts on X said he told residents that the Eritrean government drives instability in Tigray by backing the TPLF, and where the city’s mayor gave him a certificate of appreciation and a ceremonial cape. Critics were scathing. “Tigray has been liberated,” one Amharic account quoted him as saying, adding that he was honored in Mekelle despite what it called his cruelty toward the people of Tigray. A pro government user called him “Africa’s most formidable military commander of our era.”
Fighting on the border has also grown. Diplomats told Addis Standard that Ethiopian forces were using drones and Eritrean troops heavy artillery near Badme, Anadolu reported, and Mereja Media reported on Friday that Wazema had heard of clashes at Adi Bokhray while Eritrean state media promoted mobilization.
Sources
- Anadolu Agency, Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of leading Tigray rebel offensive with Egyptian support, Nov 14
- Al Jazeera, Ethiopia blames Egypt, Eritrea for Tigray attacks (video), Nov 14
- Anadolu Agency, Ethiopia, Eritrea reportedly exchange drone, artillery strikes as border fighting intensifies, Nov 14
- s82093098 on X, Mekelle remarks, Nov 14
- GuddataaJ82720 on X, Mekelle award photos, Nov 14
- YehualaMZ on X (Amharic), Nov 14
- Jah_Val_Jah on X, Nov 14
- Mereja Media, Wazema hears of fighting between Ethiopian and Eritrean troops at Adi Bokhray