Eritrea's surprise May 1998 invasion of the Ethiopian-administered border village of Badme dramatically changed the political situation in the region. Operating on the axiom that the “enemy of my enemy is my friend,” Ethiopia normalized relations with Sudan by the end of 1998, and Eritrea reestablished ties with Sudan in 2000. Although Sudan and Eritrea continued to maintain diplomatic relations, real improvement in ties was short lived. Sudan closed its border with Eritrea in 2002, and the Sudanese foreign minister charged in February 2003 that Eritrea had amassed forces along the border with Sudan. The Sudanese government also accused Eritrea of supporting rebel groups in Darfur. The undemarcated border with Sudan also posed a problem for Eritrean external relations.