Ethiopia/Eritrea: Is full-scale war inevitable?

The recent border clash between Ethiopian and Eritrean forces has caused the deaths of hundreds of soldiers and sent shockwaves throughout the Horn of Africa. On 14 June 2016, ABC News reported that Ethiopia blamed Eritrea"s provocation on Sunday 12 June for their military offensive. On 19 June 2016, the Sudan Tribune reported that Eritrea accused the United States for providing arms to aid Ethiopia"s attack. An official "Decision on Delimitation of the Border between Eritrea and Ethiopia" was delivered by a UN Commission in April 2002. However, this was not implemented on the ground and the border remains disputed. Yonas Dembele, persecution analyst at World Watch Research, is concerned: "This is a dangerous situation. In 1998-2000 the two countries fought a devastating war in which thousands were killed. Both countries have been investing heavily in their military forces and any large-scale war between the two countries would only exacerbate the instability of the whole region. Both countries have large Christian populations and any war would have a significant impact on them. For example, some Christians facing persecution in Eritrea use Ethiopia as an escape route and this would not be possible if the countries are at war."