Eritrea Increases Support for Regular Army in Sudan, Sends Weapons to Port Sudan via Asmara

Eritrea has increased its involvement in the ongoing conflict in Sudan, becoming a regular gateway to the country for military supplies from Turkey and Iran to support the Sudanese Armed Forces, “The Reporter Ethiopia” reports, revealing the arrival in Port Sudan – where the Sudanese general Abdel Fattah al Burhan transferred the government after the outbreak of the conflict – of cargoes of anti-aircraft weapons, barrel bombs and spare parts from the Eritrean airport of Asmara. According to several witnesses, Turkish drones model Bayraktar TB2 and Iranian drones Mohajer-6, capable of carrying precision-guided bombs, would arrive in Sudan via Asmara. The deliveries of weapons – an action that violates United Nations resolutions on the prohibition of supplying them to the parties to the conflict – are part of the latest developments in the Sudanese war. The recent Israeli attacks on Iran, supported by the United States, could limit some of these supplies, however Asmara's role now appears consolidated.

The opening of the "Eritrean corridor" follows rumours of the visit of the former head of Sudanese intelligence Salah Gosh to Asmara, where he met with President Isaiah Afwerki. The two allegedly agreed to use Asmara as a cover for the purchase of weapons on behalf of the Sudanese Armed Forces and allied militias, using Eritrean ports for transportation. Already under EU sanctions for his involvement in arms trafficking, Salah Gosh is considered “Sudan’s strongman” due to his long history of service under the regime of deposed President Omar al Bashir. Since Bashir’s deposition in 2019, his influence in the country has grown, strengthened by his alliance with Abdel Fattah al Burhan’s forces and his role as a mediator in arms smuggling. As confirmed by other sources, since the beginning of the conflict Eritrea has gradually become a vital supply route for Khartoum. Although operations were initially conducted informally between Port Sudan forces and traffickers, they have moved to a more official level in the last two years.

Growing cooperation between Eritrean authorities and the government of Sudan is not limited to arms transfers and the use of ports, with sources telling regional media of rapid political and military developments between the parties, including claims that Al Burhan’s forces have transferred warplanes to Asmara as a precautionary measure following a series of drone strikes against civilian and military sites in Port Sudan since 4 May. Burhan’s decision to transfer the aircraft to Eritrea came in the wake of heavy air strikes by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their rapid advance into Sudan in recent weeks. Developments that demonstrate Eritrea’s growing support for the regular army led by Sudanese General Abdel Fattah al Burhan include the deployment of warships along the Sudanese coast and the authorization to host Sudanese fighter jets at Eritrean airports. Eritrea is also reportedly training thousands of fighters from armed movements in Darfur, who have since joined a “Joint Task Force” created by authorities in the two countries to fight alongside regular Sudanese forces in Kordofan and Darfur.

Such developments are likely to strain the already tense relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Addis Ababa has long insisted on its “legitimate right” to access the Red Sea, particularly through the Eritrean port of Assab, which Asmara considers a “symbol of national sovereignty” and on which it refuses to negotiate. The risk of escalation is reminiscent of what happened last July, when Eritrea deployed military vessels along the coast of Sudan, a move that Ethiopia considered a serious provocation and which led to a deterioration in bilateral relations between the two countries. Over the course of more than two years of war, ties between Asmara and the government of Port Sudan have grown significantly: Al Burhan has visited Eritrea several times, most recently last April, without warning. Today, at a critical moment at the regional level, the presence of Eritrean ships in Port Sudan appears to be a sign of support, at least symbolic, for the Sudanese army in its fight against the RSF.

Port Sudan forces are actively seeking “safe” locations to store the large quantities of weapons they have accumulated in recent months, including tanks, drones and missiles, many of which were supplied by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Recent US-backed Israeli attacks on Iran could limit these supplies. However, several reports suggest that Al Burhan forces have built tunnels inside several military bases to protect recently acquired strategic weapons and drones, including advanced defense systems, surveillance equipment and radar technology to counter RSF drones. The newly built tunnels are intended to safeguard the strategic arsenal built up over decades by the Sudanese army, allow for the systematic storage of supplies and ensure security, countering vulnerabilities resulting from the loss of numerous army depots following the outbreak of war.