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| 1998, May 6 |
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| Armed conflict ignited along the Ethiopian border with Eritrea, a province that had declared its independence in 1993. The war continued for two years, escalating throughout 1999 and exploding in May 2000 when Ethiopian troops invaded Eritrea. | 1 |
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| 1999, Sept. 4 |
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| Peace negotiations with Eritrea failed, and the border war continued. In 1999 some 8 million Ethiopians were threatened with starvation due to massive famine from years of drought. Many lives were saved through international food aid and relief. | 2 |
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| 2000, June 18 |
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| The Ethiopian and Eritrean foreign ministers signed a cease-fire, returning the border to its original May 1998 location. Tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides died in the struggle. UN peacekeeping troops arrived to temporarily patrol the Ethiopian-Eritrean border. | 3 |
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| Dec. 12 |
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| Ethiopia and Eritrea finalized a peace agreement to formally end the border war; the OAU functioned as a mediator in the proceedings. | 4 |
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