Sudanese Army’s Tigrayan Links Raise Fears of Wider Regional Conflict

The return of war to Ethiopia’s Tigray region is placing the Sudanese army’s ties with Tigrayan factions and fighters under growing scrutiny, amid fears that the relationship could deepen Sudan’s exposure to a wider regional conflict.

At the heart of those concerns is the possibility that Sudanese territory could become a rear base for groups seeking to destabilize Ethiopia. Such a role would tie developments inside Sudan more closely to the course of fighting across the border.

The army’s relationships with Tigrayan groups raise questions about how weapons, fighters and supply routes could connect the two conflicts. The concern is that these links could help sustain fighting beyond either country’s borders.

The prospect of the Sudanese and Ethiopian wars merging into a single regional struggle adds another dimension to Sudan’s crisis. Rather than remaining separate conflicts, the two could become increasingly intertwined through armed alliances and cross-border support.

The extent of that risk depends in part on the nature of the army’s ties with Tigrayan factions. Those relationships are now a focal point of fears that renewed fighting in Tigray could draw Sudan further into instability beyond its own war.