Egypt has denied interfering in the internal affairs of any country, following Ethiopian accusations of backing armed groups in the country’s north.

“The Egyptian foreign policy is based on firm principles, foremost among which is respect for the sovereignty of states and the unity and territorial integrity thereof, and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Nader Zaki said in a post on US social media company X on Monday evening.

“Accordingly, any claims that cast doubt on Egypt's commitment to these entrenched principles are null and void,” he added.

Zaki did not identify the country or party behind the claims.

Heavy clashes resume

Ethiopia’s army commander Field Marshal Birhanu Jula had earlier accused Sudan, Egypt and other actors of supporting armed groups fighting its troops in the north of the country after heavy clashes resumed between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebels and the federal government.

Ethiopia witnessed a deadly war from 2020 to 2022 between federal forces and the TPLF rebels that killed at least 600,000 people, according to the African Union, before the two sides signed the Pretoria Agreement to end the conflict.