War and Conflict Journal

Eritrea and Djibouti engaged in a military clash along their mutual border over the course of three days, June 10- 13, 2008, resulting in the deaths of nine Djibouti soldiers, and the wounding of around 60 others. Some reports indicate that the French Foreign Legion in Djibouti provided logistical and medical aid to the Djibouti forces during the battles.

Previously, in mid-April, 2008, Djibouti accused Eritrea of sending troops across the border and digging trenches and defensive emplacements inside Djibouti.

Tensions between these Horn of Africa neighbors have been escalating, in large part due to the fact that Djibouti is allied to Ethiopia, France, and the United States.  Ethiopia and Eritrea have fought two bloody wars, and maintain large military forces on their mutual border as they continue to view each other as foes.  Also, Eritrea has been accused of aiding Islamist forces in Somalia, where they have fought against intervening Ethiopian and American forces since late 2006.

The 13th Demi-Brigade of the French Foreign Legion, with 2,850 troops, shares a military base, called Camp Lemonier, with the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) of the United States Central Command, since 2002.

Using their base at Camp Lemonier, American forces launched a Predator drone which flew over neighboring Yemen in 2002 which fired a Hellfire missile, killing al-Qaida operatives Abu Ali al-Harithi and Ahmed Hijazi, along with four other suspected terrorists. al-Harithi was believed to be a leader in the attack on the USS Cole in Yemeni waters in October of 2000. American forces based in Djibouti at Camp Lemonier also launched missions against Islamist forces in Somalia during the Ethiopian intervention which began in December of 2006.

Links:

http://www.eritreadaily.net/News0108/article0806141.htm

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL12617339

http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL11187409.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Ras_Doumeira_border_crisis

http://www.historyguy.com/eritrea-djibouti_2008_war.html