NAIROBI, Kenya — Ethiopia is hosting a secret military site near its border with Sudan to train fighters for Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to Ethiopian officials, diplomats and satellite imagery reviewed by Reuters. The alleged Ethiopia RSF training camp would mark the clearest sign yet of Addis Ababa’s involvement in Sudan’s civil war and could widen an already regionalized conflict, Feb. 10, 2026.
What we know about the Ethiopia RSF training camp
In a Reuters investigation, the site is described as a new training area carved out of forest in Ethiopia’s western Benishangul-Gumuz region, in a district called Menge about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the Sudanese border. The report said imagery showed clearing work beginning in April and a rapid buildup of tents and vehicle traffic after mid-October 2025.
Eight sources cited by Reuters said the United Arab Emirates financed construction and provided trainers and logistical support. Reuters said it could not independently verify the camp’s purpose, who exactly was training there, or the extent of Emirati involvement.
According to an internal Ethiopian security note reviewed by Reuters, 4,300 RSF fighters were undergoing military training at the site as of early January and “their logistical and military supplies are being provided by the UAE.” The report said recruits were mainly Ethiopians, with some South Sudanese and Sudanese nationals also present, including alleged links to Sudan’s SPLM-N rebel movement — an assertion an SPLM-N leader denied.
Reuters also described new construction at Asosa Airport, about 33 miles (53 kilometers) from the site, including a new hangar and what a Dutch peace researcher identified as a drone ground control station and a satellite antenna. Regional officials told Reuters they were concerned the camp’s proximity to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam could raise the stakes if fighting spreads toward Ethiopia’s western flank.
Denials and unanswered questions
Reuters said Ethiopia’s government spokesperson and military did not respond to detailed questions, and the RSF also did not comment. The UAE foreign ministry said it was not a party to the conflict or “in any way” involved in hostilities.
In a separate joint ministerial statement issued after talks in Addis Ababa, the UAE and Ethiopia condemned attacks on civilians and called for a humanitarian truce and an immediate ceasefire in Sudan, while emphasizing their strategic partnership.
Why the Ethiopia RSF training camp matters
The alleged camp sits near a sensitive tri-border zone as Sudan’s war, which began in 2023, continues to drive one of the world’s largest displacement crises. UNHCR’s Sudan situation dashboard listed total forcibly displaced at 11,751,720 as of Feb. 2, including more than 4.45 million refugees, asylum seekers and returnees outside Sudan.
An IPC alert published Feb. 5 warned of worsening acute malnutrition in 2026, projecting nearly 4.2 million cases among children and pregnant or breastfeeding women, including more than 800,000 severe cases.
Diplomats and regional security sources said the Ethiopia RSF training camp could give the RSF a pipeline of fresh recruits for fronts in Sudan’s south, adding pressure on aid routes and neighboring states. As donors gathered in Washington this month, a Reuters report on the donor conference said the UAE pledged $500 million to a U.N. humanitarian fund for Sudan, as the United States pushed renewed truce talks.
Older reporting: allegations of outside support
The Ethiopia RSF training camp allegations land on top of a long-running dispute over who is supplying the RSF. A Jan. 24, 2025, Reuters report said two U.S. lawmakers concluded the UAE was providing weapons to the RSF and sought to block some arms sales to Abu Dhabi; the UAE denied the claim.
An Al Jazeera story from January 2024 reported on a leaked U.N. document described as citing “credible” evidence of arms transfers via Chad, while noting Emirati denials. The UAE foreign ministry’s Aug. 13, 2023 statement said the country had not supplied arms to any warring party since the conflict began and said it was focused on humanitarian aid.
For now, the Ethiopia RSF training camp claim remains contested — but it is likely to intensify scrutiny of how regional alliances, money and weapons are shaping Sudan’s war and the security of its neighbors.
