{"id":72262,"date":"2026-09-26T08:08:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-26T12:08:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/ethiopia-army-chief-warns-of-foreign-backed-insurgency-as-tigray-tensions-escalate\/72262\/"},"modified":"2026-09-26T08:08:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T12:08:15","slug":"ethiopia-army-chief-warns-of-foreign-backed-insurgency-as-tigray-tensions-escalate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/ethiopia-army-chief-warns-of-foreign-backed-insurgency-as-tigray-tensions-escalate\/72262\/","title":{"rendered":"Ethiopia Army Chief Warns of Foreign-Backed Insurgency as Tigray Tensions Escalate"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Ethiopian Army Chief Field Marshal Birhanu Jula<\/strong> alleges that a newly formed alliance of seven armed groups is a foreign-backed project designed to destabilize the nation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Tigray People&#39;s Liberation Front (TPLF)<\/strong> has reportedly seized control of three regional airports, prompting <strong>Ethiopian Airlines<\/strong> to suspend flights to Mekelle, Axum, and Shire.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Federal forces<\/strong> are utilizing drone strikes to repel rebel advances in the strategic town of <strong>Abala<\/strong>, as the conflict spreads into the neighboring <strong>Afar<\/strong> and <strong>Amhara<\/strong> regions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The United Nations<\/strong> and international observers warn of a return to full-scale civil war, threatening the fragile <strong>2022 Pretoria Peace Agreement<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Ethiopian National Defense Force (<strong>ENDF<\/strong>) Chief of General Staff <strong>Field Marshal Birhanu Jula<\/strong> has issued a stern warning against what he describes as &quot;provocations&quot; by the <strong>Tigray People&#39;s Liberation Front (TPLF)<\/strong>. Speaking on September 26, 2026, Jula asserted that the <strong>TPLF<\/strong> is attempting to drag the country into a &quot;pointless war&quot; through a new political-military coalition. He emphasized that these armed groups lack the internal capacity to confront the state without significant <strong>external support<\/strong> from &quot;historical and contemporary adversaries.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>The military chief\u2019s remarks follow the formation of the <strong>Ethiopian Peoples&#39; Forces Alliance for Survival<\/strong>, a coalition involving the <strong>TPLF<\/strong>, the <strong>Oromo Liberation Army (OLA)<\/strong>, and the <strong>Amhara Fano National Movement<\/strong>. Jula characterized this alliance as a rebranded version of previous externally funded efforts to weaken Ethiopia&#39;s sovereignty. He specifically pointed to <strong>Eritrea<\/strong> as an intermediary for foreign powers, alleging that the neighboring state is supplying and managing the operatives of the new coalition.<\/p>\n<p>On the ground, the security situation has deteriorated rapidly over the last 48 hours. Reports indicate that <strong>Tigrayan forces<\/strong> have seized control of key infrastructure, including regional airports, which has effectively halted commercial air travel in the north. In response, the <strong>ENDF<\/strong> has deployed combat drones to strike rebel positions in <strong>Afar<\/strong> and <strong>Southern Tigray<\/strong>. <em>Analysts suggest that the scale of these operations indicates the 2022 peace deal has been effectively shattered, raising the risk of a humanitarian crisis similar to the 2020\u20132022 conflict which claimed an estimated 600,000 lives.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Despite the escalating violence, <strong>Field Marshal Jula<\/strong> maintained that the federal government is &quot;exercising restraint&quot; to avoid civilian suffering. However, he warned that the military&#39;s patience is not infinite and that the <strong>ENDF<\/strong> possesses the technological and organizational edge to &quot;decisively respond&quot; to any direct threat to national unity. The <strong>United Nations<\/strong> has expressed &quot;grave concern&quot; over the widening impact on civilians, as internet disruptions and road closures are already being reported across northern provinces.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Ethiopian Army Chief Field Marshal Birhanu Jula alleges that a newly formed alliance of seven armed groups is 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