They've done their homework

It looks as though the U.S. Department of State has done their homework! They provide country specific travel information which seems to be a great resource in understanding the political scene of the area. The info is pretty long so I will post it over several days. Here is the some info regarding the relationship between Ethiopia and Eritrea:

Eritrea is a poor but developing East African country, the capital of which is Asmara. Formerly a province of Ethiopia, Eritrea became an independent country on May 24, 1993, following a 30-year struggle that culminated in an overwhelming referendum vote for independence.

Ethiopia/Eritrea Border Area: Ethiopia and Eritrea signed a peace agreement in December 2000 that ended their border war. However, the border remains an issue of contention between the governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea. The border area is a militarized zone where there exists the possibility of armed conflict between Ethiopian and Eritrean forces. American citizens are advised to avoid travel in the areas along the Eritrean/Ethiopian border (within 50 km/30 miles of the Ethiopian/Eritrean border) because of the dangers posed by land mines and because of the possibility of conflict between Ethiopian and Eritrean defense forces. A UN peacekeeping mission maintains only a minimal presence and has limited capability to monitor the border region. Due to abductions and banditry, Americans are advised to avoid travel within 30 miles of the Ethiopian-Eritrean border west of Adigrat to the Sudanese border, with the exception of the town of Axum, and within 60 miles east of Adigrat to the Djiboutian border. Embassy personnel are permitted to travel in these areas only on a case-by-case basis. Travel to the northern Afar Region towards the Eritrean border is also discouraged. Embassy personnel are permitted to travel there only on a case-by-case basis.