Leftovers from the war

In 1993 Eritrea broke free from Ethiopia after three decades of struggle for independence. The two countries after that continued to bicker over issues such as currency, trade and exactly how the border should be drawn. In 1998 they came to full blows over a disputed border town. They launched a devastating war that killed tens of thousands of people on each side and prompted both of these impoverished countries to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on military equipment. The fighting lasted until 2000. When it was over not much had been resolved; the two were basically just tired of all the death and destruction. They badly needed a rest.
As we drove through the countryside on our way to Lalibela we occasionally saw old, discarded military tanks and jeeps from this war. They had been abandoned in the fields, typically with the cannon and other parts removed, presumably picked apart and used for scraps by the locals.
As I write this in October 2007, Ethiopia and Eritrea just in the last week have escalated their aggressive talks against each other. The border issue remains tense and unresolved. Both have warned the United Nations that the other country seems to be on the war path. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged them to cool their heads and do what they can to avoid a return to military conflict.
Let's hope they listen.

Check out this video clip of a farmer using his whip and two oxes to plow the field next to one of these abandoned tanks.