ASMARA — Sudan’s Sovereign Council Chairman Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan held talks with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki in Asmara on Friday, amid rising security tensions and shifting alliances across the Horn of Africa.
According to Eritrea’s Ministry of Information, al-Burhan made a brief working visit to the Eritrean capital, where he was welcomed by President Isaias Afwerki at Asmara International Airport before the two leaders held discussions at the State House.
The Eritrean government said the talks focused on bilateral relations, developments in Sudan, and regional and international issues of mutual interest. No additional details were provided, and al-Burhan returned to Sudan later the same day.
The visit comes as tensions continue to rise among Sudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea, with diplomatic and security relations across the region becoming increasingly strained.
Earlier this month, Sudan accused Ethiopia of carrying out a drone strike targeting Khartoum International Airport, a claim Addis Ababa rejected. Sudanese authorities later vowed a response, while reports suggested increased military activity along the Sudan-Ethiopia border.
Khartoum has also accused Ethiopia of allowing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to launch drone attacks from Ethiopian territory and alleged that RSF fighters operate training camps inside Ethiopia with financial support from the United Arab Emirates. The accusations have not been independently verified, and Ethiopian officials have denied supporting the RSF.
Regional tensions escalated further after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed accused Sudan, Eritrea, and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) of forming a coordinated alliance against Ethiopia. Abiy also alleged that the TPLF had sent Tigrayan youth to fight alongside Sudanese army forces loyal to Gen. al-Burhan. Eritrean and TPLF officials have rejected the accusations.
Relations between Asmara and Khartoum have strengthened in recent years through expanding political and security cooperation, particularly as Eritrea’s relations with Ethiopia have deteriorated over disagreements surrounding the implementation of the Pretoria peace agreement and Ethiopia’s efforts to secure sovereign access to the Red Sea.
Analysts say the meeting between al-Burhan and Isaias highlights the increasingly complex geopolitical landscape in the Horn of Africa, where conflicts in Sudan and Ethiopia, combined with shifting alliances, continue to fuel regional security concerns.
