President Issaias Afwerki won the Eritreans' loyalty during the long struggle for independence.

ECONOMIST: Eritrea and Ethiopia at doubtful peace

Mr Meles and Issaias Afwerki, Eritrea's president, appear to be as surprised as everybody else to find they are at war.

ECONOMIST: Ethiopia and Eritrea

Mr Afwerki is still popular with many Eritreans, and some say the time is not yet ripe for such a keen debate.

ECONOMIST: After ten years, democracy stirs

The two leaders, Meles Zenawi, the prime minister of Ethiopia, and Issaias Afwerki, the president of Eritrea, seem determined to slug it out.

ECONOMIST: Ethiopia��s and Eritrea��s forgotten war, resumed

Ethiopia has made it clear it distrusts President Isaias Afwerki personally, and that it would prefer to see a less aggressive Eritrean leader.

BBC: Ethiopia's war strategy

Meanwhile, Mr Afwerki keeps in existence the so-called Special Court, which he can use to bypass other legal institutions to charge and sentence individuals, technically for corruption.

ECONOMIST: After ten years, democracy stirs

Their explanation for the conflict puts the blame on Mr Afwerki: since he has failed to make life better for most of his people, he needs a war to distract and unify them.

ECONOMIST: Ethiopia and Eritrea