Sudan’s Army Accused of Training ONLF Separatists in Sennar as Group Abandons Ceasefire
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are reportedly training fighters from the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) in the Sennar region of Sudan, according to a new report by the French intelligence publication Africa Intelligence. This development marks a significant escalation in the fracturing relationship between Sudan and Ethiopia and signals the potential collapse of the 2018 peace agreement between the Somali separatist group and the Ethiopian government.
According to the report, the training operations are being conducted in Sennar, a strategic state in southeastern Sudan that borders Ethiopia. The involvement of the Sudanese military suggests a widening of the regional proxy conflict, with Khartoum allegedly seeking to leverage Ethiopian internal opposition groups as leverage against Addis Ababa. This comes amidst ongoing accusations that Ethiopia has been providing support to Sudan’s rival paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a claim Ethiopia has consistently denied.
The revelation follows a pivotal ONLF congress held last month, where the group’s leadership undertook a strategic review of its engagement with the Ethiopian federal government. While the ONLF had signed a historic ceasefire agreement with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration in 2018—effectively ending decades of insurgency in the Somali Region (Ogaden)—tensions have been mounting. The group has frequently accused federal authorities of violating the terms of the accord, citing continued marginalization and a lack of genuine political integration.
Following the recent congress, the ONLF has reportedly decided to formally revoke its commitment to the ceasefire and resume armed resistance, citing the government’s failure to honor the peace deal. This decision appears to have been immediately operationalized through the establishment of training camps in Sudan. The Africa Intelligence report indicates that the SAF is providing logistical support and military instruction to ONLF recruits, effectively opening a new front of instability on Ethiopia’s western border.
Regional analysts warn that this move could further destabilize the Horn of Africa. The Sennar region, already a flashpoint in Sudan’s own civil war, is now positioned as a launchpad for cross-border insurgency. The resumption of hostilities by the ONLF would not only threaten security in Ethiopia’s Somali Region but also complicate the fragile diplomatic relations between Khartoum and Addis Ababa, potentially drawing both nations deeper into each other’s domestic conflicts.
Neither the Sudanese Armed Forces nor the Ethiopian government have officially commented on the specific allegations regarding the Sennar training camps as of Friday.
* geeska.com
