Cairo responded in three words — “They are equal to nothing” — to accusations made by the Ethiopian army chief against Egypt of supporting armed groups fighting government forces in Ethiopia.
“Nader Zaki,” the official spokesperson for the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, posted a message on his Facebook account on Monday evening, stressing that Egyptian foreign policy is based on firm and indivisible principles, foremost among them respect for the sovereignty of states and the unity and territorial integrity of their territories, as well as a full commitment to non-interference in the internal affairs of any state.
He added that “any allegations questioning Egypt’s commitment to these firm principles are equal to nothing.”
The Egyptian response came after sharp statements by Ethiopian Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Marshal “Berhanu Jula,” in which he accused Egypt, Sudan, and Eritrea of providing support to armed groups fighting government forces in northern Ethiopia, considering that his forces are facing organized and allied parties serving the interests of external powers targeting his country.
The verbal exchange coincided with new developments on the ground in the “Tigray” region and other areas of northern Ethiopia, where armed clashes have resumed between federal forces, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, and “Fano” forces.
The Ethiopian accusations reflect the continued state of tension and suspicion between Cairo and Addis Ababa, as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam remains a central point of disagreement. Egypt maintains the need to reach a legally binding agreement on the operation and filling of the dam in a manner that protects its water security and its historical share of the Nile River’s waters, amounting to 55.5 billion cubic meters.
Meanwhile, Ethiopia continues to take unilateral measures regarding the operational filling of the dam without coordination with the two downstream countries, Egypt and Sudan, which has led the tripartite negotiations to a deadlock.
Tensions between the two countries escalated after Addis Ababa signed a memorandum of understanding with the internationally unrecognized “Somaliland” region, aimed at gaining access to the Red Sea. Cairo viewed this as a threat to Somalia’s sovereignty, the security of the Red Sea, and navigation through the Suez Canal, and Egypt responded by strengthening its military and security relations with Mogadishu and Eritrea.
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Author: Counselor Faisal Al-Mutairi.
Publication Date: September 29, 2026.
Updated: September 2026.
