The Second Afarinsurgency is an ongoing insurgency in the Afar Region of Ethiopia and the Southern Red Sea Region of Eritrea , waged by various Afar rebel groups. Both Ethiopia and Eritrea have supported different rebel groups in the region in a proxy war, and have occasionally engaged in border skirmishes with each other, as well as with opposing rebel groups.
In 1995, ARDUF insurgents kidnapped and later released an Italian tourist.
2000–2009
In 2002, a splinter faction of ARDUF abandoned the insurgency, and joined the Ethiopian political scene.
In 2003, ARDUF issued a statement, forbidding foreigners from entering the Afar region.
In March 2007, ARDUF kidnapped five European tourists and 13 Ethiopians in the Danakil Depression.
On 16 November 2008, RSADO insurgents claimed to have killed over 285 Eritrean military officers including top military leaders in a military training center, in the remote Dankalia region of the Afambo local area. According to a rebel spokesman, fighters sneaked up to the military base at around 8:30 local time, and bombarded a hull packed with over 450 Eritrean military officers who were celebrating the end of higher military training. The rebel official added that they also hit a truck carrying gas tanker and a generator outside.
On 26 January 2009, RSADO insurgents reportedly killed 20 soldiers and wounded 30, in the aftermath of an attack on a military camp in the Dankalia region of Eritrea.
2010
On 1 January 2010, RSADO and the ENSF claimed responsibility for two attacks in Kokobay and Kermeti, Eritrea. 25 Eritrean soldiers were killed and 38 were wounded. The attackers' losses amounted to 10 killed and two captured. According to American and Eritrean intelligence service sources, the attacks were perpetrated by the Ethiopian Armed Forces.
On 22 April 2010, RSADO and the ENSF launched a coordinated attack on several Eritrean military camps in the south of the country. Both rebel groups announced in a joint statement that they had briefly taken control over the camps and seized weapons and military intelligence. The attack occurred at around 3:00AM local time and rebels were reported to have held it for three more hours until government forces returned with reinforcements. A total of 11 government soldiers were killed and 20 were injured. No rebel casualties were reported. On 28 April, a RSADO spokesman put the army death toll higher at 18 killed and a number of supplies captured during the "surprise" onslaught.
2011–2018
In March 2011, ARDUF claimed to have killed 49 Ethiopian soldiers.
On 22 October 2011, RSADO and ENSF claimed to have killed 12 and wounded 15 Eritrean soldiers, after they launched coordinated attacks on the towns of Kermed, Adi Metras, Ingra Abo and Adi Tela’a.
On 1 December 2011, the ENSF and RSADO raided an Eritrean military base at dawn in the southern part of the country in Enda Haji, near the town of Tsorona. A RSADO spokesman Yasin Mohamed said his forces held the area until 11:00AM, before they returned to their positions in the safe havens of Ethiopia where the group's headquarters is located. A total of 17 government soldiers were killed, five were injured, and two soldiers were captured by rebel fighters.
In 2012, RSADO killed 30 Eritrean soldiers in an attack on a military base.
On 17 January 2012, ARDUF killed five, wounded three, and kidnapped four people, in the aftermath of an attack on the Erta Ale volcano. The majority of the victims were foreign tourists.
On 15 March 2012, the Ethiopian army carried a cross border raid into Eritrea, destroying three ARDUF camps in Ramid, Gelahbe and Gimbi. An Ethiopian spokesman claimed that the rebels were receiving Eritrean training.
On 7 September 2013, RSADO and the Saho People's Democratic Movement formed an alliance in order to jointly combat the Eritrean government.
On 29 April 2014, RSADO claimed to have killed 27 Eritrean intelligence agents, in the aftermath of an attack on military camp.
In July 2015, clashes between a newly formed armed group and the Ethiopian army left 50 reported killed on 2 July and 30 killed in the counter-attacks on 10 July.
