Ethiopia, Eritrea exchange fire

A government statement in Ethiopia said on Thursday that continued bombardment started on Thursday at dawn between the Eritrean and Ethiopian troops along Badmi front, in northwest Ethiopia.

Today, the Eritrean foreign ministry said in a statement that today's accusations by the Ethiopian government that Eritrea launched an air attack on AdiGrat at 10:45 a.m "is a complete fabrication." Eritrea accused Ethiopia of opening "a new front in Tsorona (central Eritrea-Ethiopia border) by deploying about 55,000 troops--including the 'elite' 20th Division." Ethiopia had accused earlier this week that "Eritrea had deployed troops in the Tsorona front to attack industrial sites in northern Tigray and the obelisk in Aksum."

The Ethiopian government spokeswoman Selome Tadesse had accused Eritrea of moving heavy reinforcements to Tsorona "in order to attack industrial establishments and the ancient stela (obelisk) in Axum" the statement added.

Former French Minister Jean Francois Deniau was in Asmara on Wednesday to discuss the border dispute. Deniau met with President Isaias Afwerki and senior government officials as part of France's desire to explore peaceful solutions to the nine month old border conflict.