The Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, held closed-door talks with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki in Asmara on Friday to deepen bilateral security cooperation amid escalating proxy tensions in the Horn of Africa.
General al-Burhan and his delegation were received by President Afwerki at Asmara International Airport upon their mid-morning arrival for what official statements described as part of a periodic consultative framework between the two countries.
The talks at the State House focused heavily on regional security and the ongoing civil war in Sudan. Since fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia in April 2023, Eritrea has emerged as one of Khartoum’s most steadfast regional allies.
The high-level meeting occurs against a backdrop of rapidly deteriorating relations between Sudan and neighbouring Ethiopia, threatening to further destabilise the broader region.
Independent intelligence assessments and diplomatic sources recently revealed that Ethiopian territory—specifically active military installations—has been utilised as a logistical rear base to arm, supply, and train the RSF for offensives along Sudan’s eastern front.
Amid growing international scrutiny over these supply lines, Addis Ababa has aggressively pushed a counter-narrative. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed recently addressed his parliament, alleging the existence of a hostile tactical alliance between Sudan, Eritrea, and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) aimed at his government.
Sudan and Eritrea have historically dismissed such claims from Ethiopian state media as partisan deflections meant to obscure Addis Ababa’s own tacit facilitation of RSF operations.
Burhan’s working visit underscores the SAF’s reliance on Eritrea as a strategic buffer. By coordinating closely with President Afwerki, the military leadership is aiming to consolidate its cross-border alliances, maintain trade routes, and push back against the external supply chains feeding the RSF insurgency.
