Algeria Gate: Algerian diplomat Amar Belani has stated that the resumption of fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigray region is bringing the United Arab Emirates back to the center of the Ethiopian scene, given its close partnership with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government since 2018.
Belani noted that Emirati-Ethiopian cooperation spans economic, security, and military domains. He recalled investment agreements announced by Abu Dhabi in 2023 worth nearly $6 billion. During Ethiopia’s civil war between 2020 and 2022, the UAE provided military and logistical support to Addis Ababa, particularly through drones.
Turning to Sudan, Belani cited reports of a secret camp established in Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region to train around 5,000 Rapid Support Forces fighters, with Emirati funding and logistical backing. He also pointed to the upgrading of Assosa airport’s military and logistical capacity and reports of military equipment being transferred to the RSF through Ethiopian territory, with Somaliland and the port of Berbera serving as transit points.
According to Belani, Ethiopia has become a key anchor in the UAE’s regional strategy because of its geographic position and the web of interests linking it to Somaliland, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden. He argued that the renewed fighting in Tigray is unfolding amid rising regional tensions, including deteriorating Ethiopian-Eritrean relations over sea access and the ongoing war in Sudan.
Belani concluded that the UAE’s presence extends beyond Ethiopia to Sudan, Somaliland, and the Red Sea, enabling Abu Dhabi to influence trade routes and military balances. Ethiopia, he said, has turned into a major arena of regional competition as Egypt, Eritrea, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan seek to contain Emirati influence.





