Eritrea's armed independence struggle starts. Some three-quarters of population farm or herd. Both countries are desperately poor. The war is over a small border area called Badme.
Few people live there.
Ethiopia claims Eritrea invaded the land in May 1998. The war directing affects more than 700,000 people. In two years it has claimed an estimated 100,000 lives. Up to 1 million of the 3.5 million population have been displaced by the war. Meanwhile severe drought and food shortages affect 8 million people.