Eritrea is often labeled by journalists and governments as a regional aggressor (here1 and here2). The most often cited evidence for this designation is that Eritrea has been engaged in conflict with each of its contiguous neighbors as well as an overseas state. Ironically however, its neighbor to the south, Ethiopia has had border conflicts with four of its six neighbors, has occupied two of them in the past two decades and has actively fomented insurgencies in its neighbors. Superficially they both seem to be aggressive nations but as we know, nothing is as simple as it seems.
As the Bakassi peninsula is transferred from Nigerian control to Cameroon, the focus of the international community must move to the Eritrean-Ethiopian boundary.
Africans and their continent are no different than any other. Eritrea, a country in the northeast of Africa, has been vociferous in its message to the world that what Africa needs is to be partners not clients. To that end Eritrea has engaged in a policy much like the United States has reoriented itself to; a focus on security from international threats, particularly transnational terrorism and occupation of its towns, and human development, in terms of broad-based economic growth and provision of social services.