Ethiopia & Eritrea Exchange Gunfire around Bure Town
Ethiopia & Eritrea today exchanged gunfire around Bure town which is situated on Ethiopia Eritrea border. Bure is about 80 km away from Asseb port. Eritrea accuses landlocked Ethiopia of having territorial ambitions to annex coastal town Asseb.
Tensions have been rising between Eritrea and Ethiopia since last month when war broke out between Ethiopian federal forces and opposition Ethiopian alliance called Alliance for Survival.
Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs this week wrote a letter to the UN and diplomatic community in Addis Ababa, accusing Eritrean military of crossing into the Tigray region of Ethiopia to support Ethiopian opposition alliance. Ethiopia vowed to take “self defense measures”. Eritrea today wrote a letter to the UN. It accused landlocked Ethiopia of planning to attack Eritrea to get sea access.
This week, UK advised its citizens against all travel within 25 km Ethiopia Eritrea border area. It urged all UK nationals to avoid non emergency travel to entire Eritrea. The American Embassy in Asmara today advised American citizens against going 25 km away from Asmara. It urged dual nationals, with both Eritrean and American nationalities, that they should take necessary measures. Eritrea does not recognize dual nationality. The US Embassy in Eritrea said it will not be able to intervene if Eritrean government detains dual nationals for conscription etc.
According to locals, this afternoon, they heard sounds of gunfire around Bure town. No official statements have been issued by the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments in this regard. In northern Ethiopia, Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) is making rapid territorial gains. Eritrea-backed Ethiopian opposition alliance has been pushed back from Wollo and Wag Himora, through Tigray, towards Eritrean border where there is possibility of direct confrontation between Ethiopian and Eritrean militaries.
During 1998 Ethiopia Eritrea war, the two sides fought for the control of the town. During the war, Eritrean military entered the town. Later Ethiopian military retook its control.
