Asmara accuses Khartoum of trying to assassinate Afourki

In an official statement, Eritrea accused Sudan of carrying out attempts to assassinate the Eritrean President Asyas Afourki for the interests of Ethiopia.

The Eritrean minister of information Ali Abdo said in a statement that Khartoum continued its efforts to "destabilize peace in Eritrea and the region through continuing practicing government terrorism and its attempt to assassinate the President."

In 1997, Eritrea accused Sudan of being behind the conspiracy to assassinate Afourki.

Both Ethiopia and Eritrea launched an armed conflict from 1998- 2000, after which Ethiopia in 2003 refused to dismantle weapons in the joint border area, according to border demarcation approved by an independent committee.

Borders between Eritrea and Sudan were closed since Khartoum accused Asmara of supporting an attack carried out by Sudanese rebels in Kasla to the west of Sudan in October 2002.

Since then, Asmara repeatedly deplored what it called the "terrorist past of Sudan" while Khartoum accuses Eritrea of supporting the Darfur rebels.