Ethiopia's Army Chief Says Military Will Not Be Dismantled, Accuses TPLF of Relying on External Backers

Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) Chief of Staff Field Marshal Berhanu Jula has accused the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) of pursuing armed campaigns with external backing and of invoking what he called ethnic-survival narratives. He said these threaten Ethiopia's national existence, according to a report by the state-affiliated Fana Media Corporation dated October 25, 2026.

According to Fana's headline, the army chief also said the TPLF and its backers fuel conflict at the expense of the people of the Tigray region. Fana's report refers to the TPLF as an “illegal” group.

In a second report, Fana said the remarks were made on October 25 in a speech at the Armed Forces General Headquarters marking the 119th Defense Forces Day, held under the theme “Army of Victory.” According to Fana, Berhanu said the ENDF would not be dismantled to clear the way for a transitional government brought about through armed struggle. He said those seeking political power should organise and compete peacefully rather than rely on armed groups and outside support. He added that the military would continue to defend Ethiopia's sovereignty and unity against internal and external threats.

Berhanu also disputed claims that the TPLF's battlefield losses had been strategic withdrawals, Fana reported. He said the group had suffered repeated setbacks across four major rounds of fighting over the past eight years and had used propaganda to hide the results.

Claims of foreign involvement

On the most recent fighting, Berhanu said the TPLF had launched an offensive on fronts in the North Wollo and Wag Hemra zones of the Amhara region and in the Afar region, according to Fana. He said the offensive followed coordination among actors stretching from Egypt through Khartoum to Asmara. He said the ENDF had repelled it and captured a large quantity of weapons delivered through the Eritrean port of Massawa, which he described as a major external military supply. Fana also reported him as saying that the army had defeated Tsimdo, an alliance of rebel groups he said was backed by three external forces. The report does not name those three forces.

The BBC's Focus on Africa programme reported that Ethiopia's army commander had accused Sudan and Eritrea of backing the rebel groups, as heavy fighting resumed between a coalition of armed opposition forces and the federal government in Tigray, Afar and Amhara. According to the BBC, Sudan has denied the accusation and called it baseless.

The BBC also reported that the Tigray regional state broadcaster, Tigray TV, had gone off air. It cited the privately owned outlet Zara Media Network as reporting that the station had been hit by a federal military drone strike. Addis Gazette has not been able to confirm the cause of the outage.

Remarks on Tigray

Turning to Tigray, Berhanu said years of conflict had cost families and communities dearly, including the deaths of young people, lost livelihoods and growing reliance on humanitarian aid, Fana reported. He said the region needed peace, development and new political leadership rather than another war, and called on Ethiopians to stand with its people. He also said Ethiopia had no alternative to protecting its interests in the Abay (Blue Nile) River and the Red Sea, while seeking good relations with its neighbours.

Tigray-based political parties have also criticised the TPLF, according to other state media. A headline from the state Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) said the chairman of the Tigray Democratic Party described the TPLF as illegal and lacking public support, and said the group no longer has political relevance. A headline from the state broadcaster EBC said the Simret Democratic Party accused a faction of the TPLF of making conditions in Tigray unbearable for its people. Unlike Fana's report, EBC's headline directs the accusation at a faction of the TPLF rather than at the organisation as a whole.

Separately, a headline from the independent outlet Borkena said the TPLF's leadership is expected to take part in a disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) process as services are restored in Tigray. That account contrasts with the BBC's report of resumed heavy fighting, including in Tigray.

Fana's first report did not identify the alleged external backers. Its second report and the BBC refer to specific countries, but neither sets out evidence for the claims. Only the headlines of the ENA, EBC and Borkena reports were available to Addis Gazette. Addis Gazette has not independently verified any of the claims.

Sources: Fana Media Corporation (state-affiliated), Fana (state-affiliated), BBC – Focus on Africa (podcast), Ethiopian News Agency (state), EBC (state broadcaster), Borkena

Picture: Fana (state-affiliated)