Eritrea has turned the tables on Ethiopia by accusing it of breaching a pact to end their border war, the day after Ethiopia threatened to terminate the deal because of its smaller neighbour’s alleged violations.

Tensions between the two countries have risen sharply this month after years of bad blood over Eritrea’s independence and a 1998-2000 border war that killed 70,000 people and ended western hopes of an African renaissance led by among others both countries’ leaders.