Eritrea has hit back at its neighbour Ethiopia describing accusations that its troops were on Ethiopian territory as 'false'. On Sunday, a letter sent from Ethiopia's foreign minister to his Eritrean counterpart demanded that the soldiers withdraw.
Ethiopia accused Eritrea of 'outright aggression', stating it was conducting joint manoeuvres with Ethiopian rebels in the north and supplying them with weapons. Eritrea responded, saying this was part of a 'spiral of hostile campaigns against Eritrea for more than two years'.
This situation is exacerbated by a long history of tension between the two countries, which separated from Ethiopia three decades ago. Fears of a renewed conflict are heightened as one point of contention is Ethiopia's demand for access to the sea, which it considers an existential matter.
The countries fought a border war from 1998 to 2000, resulting in over 100,000 deaths and a peace deal that was never fully implemented, although relations temporarily improved after a historic visit by Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to Asmara in 2018.
With allegations flying and the possibility of military escalation looming, the situation remains precarious, highlighting the delicate balance of peace in a region marked by a troubled past.
Ethiopia accused Eritrea of 'outright aggression', stating it was conducting joint manoeuvres with Ethiopian rebels in the north and supplying them with weapons. Eritrea responded, saying this was part of a 'spiral of hostile campaigns against Eritrea for more than two years'.
This situation is exacerbated by a long history of tension between the two countries, which separated from Ethiopia three decades ago. Fears of a renewed conflict are heightened as one point of contention is Ethiopia's demand for access to the sea, which it considers an existential matter.
The countries fought a border war from 1998 to 2000, resulting in over 100,000 deaths and a peace deal that was never fully implemented, although relations temporarily improved after a historic visit by Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to Asmara in 2018.
With allegations flying and the possibility of military escalation looming, the situation remains precarious, highlighting the delicate balance of peace in a region marked by a troubled past.
