Ignoring Hugs post [@Pepperm1nts] because I talked with Vilage on this and we both settled on a way to both ignore it so I can ironically use "lol post fggt" but to keep Germany semi-relevant with Hugs-related things in mind, so in as far as it matters to the Triumverate the issue is settled. And we can probably keep Hugs about without so much "strain" as it were.

But going on to [@The Grey Warden]'s post:

In-so-far the war's been this: Spain led by Alfonso Sotello is staunchly anti-Communist and they've put a lot of effort and time into keeping socialists and communists out of Europe. Their enemy-in-Africa - Ethiopia - has aligned itself with China since the assumption of Yaqob Yohannes, beginning a regime of drifting away from Europe and seeking allies in the Communist east, as opposed to the reign of the aloof - if pro-Europe because of it - elder brother: Sahle (who has now assumed a new identity and is now living underground as a jazz musician in Armenia).

Yaqob also received an education in China as an officer and has himself written an essay (or something) on Communism/socialist which sort of affirms his ideological stance. Spain tried to make an attempt on his life, but that failed.

Anyways, fast-forwarding through the background: Spain decided to invade Africa to clean out the Ethiopian regime as a long-term mission to try and isolate and dismantle the Chinese government which is seen as the source of all things revolutionary. The first "battle" was that at the Suez with the Spanish navy assaulting in force the meager Ethiopian garrison sent there to deal with Egyptian warlords who had been causing trouble in Ethiopian Sudan or something. The Ethiopians being undermanned and the Egyptian militias too unskilled and unarmed were not able to fight the Spanish. The Ethiopians tried to slow down or block the Spanish advancement by lodging the canal up with so much debris the Spanish effort would effectively be frozen in its tracks.

To the Spanish, who wanted a quick jab at Addis Ababa couldn't have this, and they broke through anyways. If the Ethiopians had been successful, then Spain would have to sail around the long-way to get their assets in position.

Following the battle of the Suez was the Battle of Mandeb which saw the total annihilation of the Ethiopian navy at the hands of the Spanish air force. After this is the now current Battle of Djibouti, which you can see what's going on by reading Gorgenmast and VilageidiotX's collab post. But in short: Ethiopia sets fire to Djibouti to trap the Spanish landing party and give them nothing to attack since the city is an inferno and they shelled them at the beach for part of the night. The Battle of Djibouti also marks the first engagement in which the Ethiopians had to deal with a jet, which was brought down by the swarming Ethiopian air force.

Something that probably isn't known to anyone besides Ethiopia, Spain, and China is that near the island of Socotra the Spanish and Chinese had a brief skirmish, making the first moment in which jet airplanes ever fought one another. This was to intercept a Spanish airplane deployed to shoot down the airplane carrying the Empress Azima, her son, her nephew, and the queen-mother out of the country for refuge in China. The Chinese got their late, but couldn't confirm if the Empress' plane had been shot down as much as the Spanish plane couldn't confirm. But the Spanish pilot was fatally wounded and died on his return to the Spanish armada and the Chinese jets had to make an emergency landing in Addis Ababa for refueling. One of the three sent was however forced to depart the battle early and crash-landed in Somalia - but that pilot is back and on his way to Addis.

So in so far: that's the skinny. The other factor to know behind the scenes is the possession of what's basically this RP's super-weapon by Spain: VX nerve gas. France I'm not aware would know the Spanish possess it and only a few international parties are aware. China and Ethiopia being the relevant ones in this conflict.

And Chinese involvement in this war isn't official yet.