Eritrea army 'entered Djibouti'

Djibouti has accused Eritrea of violating its border by sending troops into its territory.

"The two armies are facing each other. The situation is explosive," said Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh.

Eritrea has denied accusations that its soldiers had dug trenches on the Djibouti side of the border.

The Arab League and the African Union have urged both sides to avoid any action that could lead to an escalation of the long-running border dispute.

The Djibouti leader said he had asked both bodies to help arbitrate.

They are reportedly sending fact-finding missions to the area.

The two countries clashed twice over their mutual border in the 1990s and nearly went to war.

Both US and France have military bases in Djibouti.