KURMUK — A Sudanese official has renewed allegations that Ethiopia is hosting and training fighters affiliated with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) near the Sudanese border, amid growing military activity in the Blue Nile region.
Abdelati Mohamed El Faki, commissioner of Kurmuk County in southeastern Blue Nile, alleged that foreign fighters had recently arrived at an Ethiopian camp in the Benishangul-Gumuz region after landing at Assosa airport. The claims could not be independently verified.
The allegations come as fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF continues to reshape the security situation along Sudan’s eastern frontier.
Alleged Training Camps in Ethiopia
The Sudanese official has previously alleged that several facilities inside Ethiopia are being used to train RSF fighters and foreign recruits, as well as for logistical activities and drone operations.
Reports of military activity near the border have drawn increased attention because of the strategic importance of Kurmuk and Blue Nile State, which border Ethiopia and provide important routes between the two countries.
Satellite imagery and other open-source investigations have also fueled scrutiny of military activity in Ethiopia near the Sudanese border. However, the available evidence does not independently establish the full extent of any Ethiopian state involvement.
Ethiopia and UAE Reject Allegations
The accusations have been disputed by the governments concerned. Ethiopia has denied involvement in Sudan’s war, while the United Arab Emirates has repeatedly rejected allegations that it provides military support to the RSF, including claims involving weapons, training, financing or logistics.
The issue has nevertheless attracted renewed international attention following a recent UN investigation into foreign involvement in Sudan’s conflict. The UN fact-finding mission said it found reasonable grounds to believe that a transnational network had supplied the RSF with weapons, logistics, training and foreign personnel.
Growing Concern Along the Ethiopian Border
The latest allegations come at a particularly sensitive moment for the Horn of Africa, where Sudan’s conflict increasingly intersects with regional security and cross-border political dynamics.
Kurmuk has become a significant flashpoint in Blue Nile, with the RSF and allied forces operating in the area. Earlier reports have also alleged that attacks around Kurmuk were facilitated through territory on the Ethiopian side of the border, although those claims have likewise not been independently verified.
If confirmed, the use of territory in Ethiopia for the training or logistical support of forces involved in Sudan’s war would represent a significant escalation in the regional dimension of the conflict.
For now, however, the allegations concerning Ethiopian territory remain contested, with Ethiopia and the UAE denying that they are supporting the RSF. The developments are likely to remain under close scrutiny as fighting continues across Sudan and international efforts seek to limit foreign military involvement and push the warring parties toward a political settlement.
