One of the longest-running conflicts on the African continent, Eritrea and Ethiopia fought a 32 year secessionist war that ended in 1991 with the defeat of the Ethiopian Army at the hands of Eritrean rebel forces. Two of the poorest countries in Africa, it is inconceivable how they each managed to pour such resources into fighting this long war that was indirectly and directly responsible for famines, massive refugee flows and hundreds of thousands of deaths. Tensions flared again in 1998-2000 when the two countries fought yet another war over a border dispute, killing another 100,000 of their own.

Things have finally cooled off between the two rivals, and the UN monitors the border areas to prevent further outbreaks of violence. How did this conflict come about? What sorts of forces are at play in the strategic Horn of Africa? As each angles to attract foreign aid and befriend America in its War on Terrorism, it is useful to understand the background of the conflict.