The commander of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea says recent military moves by both countries near their disputed border could lead to a renewed outbreak of war.
Major General Rajender Singh said Thursday the situation could deteriorate to a level where the worst can happen, which he described as war.
The United Nations says both countries have moved troops and tanks toward a security zone near the border in recent weeks. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called on both sides to show restraint.
Last month, Eritrea restricted helicopter flights by U.N. peacekeepers, a ban the United Nations says has hampered its ability to carry out its mission.
Under a peace deal ending a two-year border war between the two nations, an independent commission has drawn a new border. But Ethiopia has refused to accept the commission's ruling that awarded the town of Badme to Eritrea.
