User:De Administrando Imperio/Djiboutian-Eritrean War

Djiboutian-Eritrean War
Date June 2008–present Location Along the Djibouti-Eritrea border Status Ongoing
Belligerents
Djibouti Supported by: France	Eritrea
Commanders and leaders
Ismail Omar Guelleh
Casualties and losses
6-9 killed	Unknown

The Djiboutian-Eritrean War ...

Background

Djibouti and Eritrea had twice previously clashed over the border area. In April 1996 they almost went to war after a Djibouti official accused Eritrea of shelling the town of Ras Doumeira.

In 1995, Eritrea clashed with Yemen over the Hanish islands in the Red Sea, one of the world's major shipping lanes. Three years later, Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a two-year war over the border town of Badme, in which tens of thousands of people died. In 1999, during that war, Eritrea accused Djibouti of siding with Asmara's rival Ethiopia, while Djibouti accused its neighbour of supporting Djiboutian rebels and having designs on the Ras Doumeira region.

Eritrea and Djibouti had been locked in a standoff since mid-April 2008, when Djibouti accused Eritrea of an illegal foray across its border. Eritrea had denied any aggression. An African Union fact-finding mission was in Djibouti to monitor the situation over the weekend, but had made none of its findings public yet. In May 2008, Djibouti complained to the UN that Eritrea was fortifying its side of the border. At the time, Eritrea denied it was planning for war.

Events

Fighting between Eritrean and Djiboutian troops began on June 10, 2008 in in the Mount Gabla area, also known as Ras Doumeira, an area overlooking strategic Red Sea shipping lanes and ended late on June 11 with at least six Djiboutians dead (nine according to other sources) and 60 wounded. There was no immediate report of Eritrean casualties.

Djibouti said its forces were forced to fight back after coming under fire from Eritrean troops demanding the return of deserters who had fled to Djibouti. France said its troops were providing logistical, medical and intelligence support to Djibouti. But a French officer said his soldiers had not participated in the clashes.

Reactions

The United States Department of State released a statement condemning the Eritrean attack on June 11:

The United States condemns Eritrea’s military aggression against Djibouti in the vicinity of the border between the two countries at Ras Doumeira. These hostilities represent an additional threat to peace and security in the already volatile Horn of Africa. We understand that at least nine Djiboutians have been killed and over 60 injured as a result of the Eritrean attacks.

We call on both sides to cease all military hostilities immediately and to reduce tensions by withdrawing troops from the border area. The United States calls on Eritrea and Djibouti to move forward at once to resolve border issues peacefully, in accordance with international law, and for Eritrea to accept offers of third party mediation in this regard.

Djibouti's leader has described the situation as a war. "If Eritrea wants war, it will get it," said Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh, after visiting injured troops. Asked whether the two countries were at war, he replied: "Absolutely".

The United Nations Security Council expressed its concern over the clashes on the border between Eritrea and Djibouti.

See also

• Military of Eritrea
• Military of Djibouti

External links

• A Conflict’s Buffer Zone: Rocks, and Inches (by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times)