evidence: The issue of the disputed territory of Ras Doumeira has been a sticking point between the two states which both claim ownership of the barren mountainous strip of land on their joint border. Clashes over control of the land back in May 2008 caused hundreds of military casualties on both sides. Qatar had presided over mediation efforts and maintained a military buffer presence for much of the past decade, but then withdrew its 400 man peacekeeping contingent from Ras Doumeira in the aftermath of both countries’ siding with Saudi Arabia last year at the height of the GCC crisis. In June of 2017, barely a day after Qatari peacekeepers vacated the region, Eritrean troops moved in and took up positions in Ras Doumeira. Ever since, Djibouti has called on the international community to take action on what it refers to as Eritrean military aggression and its refusal to release twelve Djiboutian soldiers it says Eritrea took prisoner during the 2008 military flare up. Eritrea for its part, has always denied having Djiboutian military servicemen in its custody and accused Djibouti of fabricating its claims to gain international sympathy. [...] The complex Ras Doumeira issue is set to be handled by joint Ethiopian-Somali government mediation. Despite Eritrea and Djibouti being on opposite ends of the spectrum especially in regards to the topic of missing Djiboutian soldiers, Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf remains upbeat.