Lieutenant-General Berhanu, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian Defense Force, said that ‘moving the squads stationed in the border regions of Afar and Tigray is not a decision of the military, but of the government,’ according to the aforementioned newspaper.
According to media reports, Asmara made a similar move in mid-July.
The bilateral approach was initially fostered by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who since his arrival in power in April expressed interest in signing a peace agreement with the neighboring state.
The Eritreans had already gained independence in 1993, although ties of another kind remained unchanged until 1998, when differences around the borders led to a large-scale military clash that lasted until 2000.
Although a non-aggression pact formally closed the confrontations 18 years ago, the sporadic skirmishes continued on the border and relations broke irremediably.
