Ethiopia trains Sudan’s RSF in secret camp

Reports that Ethiopia is secretly hosting a camp to train thousands of fighters for Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces show how one of the world’s deadliest conflicts is expanding regionally, drawing in foreign backers

SUDANESE ARMED
FORCES (SAF)
Led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Backed by Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye

RAPID SUPPORT FORCES (RSF)
Led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. Reportedly backed by UAE and Ethiopia

Areas of control (Oct 2025)
SAF
Pro-SAF rebels
Pro-RSF rebels
RSF
Other groups

Training camp: Financed by UAE in Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region. Some 4,300 RSF fighters in training, according to Reuters investigation

Blue Nile state: Hundreds of recruits have reportedly joined RSF battling SAF soldiers

Asosa airport: Construction of drone operation centre also detected, Reuters says

Training camp

River Nile
Red Sea
SOUTH SUDAN
ERITREA
SOMALIA
BENISHANGUL-GUMUZ
YEMEN
DJIBOUTI
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
LIBYA
CHAD
EGYPT
SAUDI ARABIA
SUDAN
ETHIOPIA
Al Fashir
DARFUR REGION
Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
Addis Ababa
Khartoum
125 miles
200km

Sources: Reuters, ISW, Foreign Policy Research Institute
Pictures: Getty Images
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