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Increasing concerns have emerged about the chance of armed conflict among East African neighbors, Ethiopia and the Eritrean government, as confrontational language has escalated in the past few weeks.

What Has Ethiopian Officials Said?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, demands for access to the Red Sea through Eritrea has provoked a intense rhetorical conflict.

PM Abiy Ahmed first openly declared in last year that his government's sea access was an vital issue, remarks that Eritrea ignored.

Diplomatic connections between the two countries have regularly been difficult. Following a decades-long fight for sovereignty, the Eritrean state, which has a extensive sea border, officially seceded from Ethiopia in the early 1990s, leaving it cut off from the sea.

Subsequently, a border war erupted in which numerous people died.

Recent Remarks from Ethiopia's Government

Abiy and military leader Field Marshal Birhanu Jula have publicly asserted control of Eritrean southern port of the port of Assab – some 60 km from the frontier - and hinted at the desire to take it by force.

On 1 September, the Prime Minister said Ethiopia's "blunder" of losing entry to the Red Sea as a due to Eritrea secession would be "rectified soon".

Ethiopia's ambassador to Kenya, retired Gen Bacha Debele, said that Assab was "belonging to Ethiopia" and would be given back "by force".

Eritrea's Answer to the Claims

In the face of ongoing warnings from Ethiopian officials, Asmara's position has been restricted to short statements on X from Communications Head Yemane G..

Officials have denied Ethiopian requests for access to the Red Sea labeling it "dangerous" and a "toxic agenda" of "territorial claims" – a approach of claiming back former lands.

Government spokespeople alerted on recently that attempts to validate "flagrant aggression" would have serious consequences for Ethiopia and its neighbouring countries and is a "limit that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Defense Movements on the Border

There have been little evidence of large-scale army activities in the boundary zones between the two countries.

Nevertheless, in the country, government media has shown training completions of numerous trainees at various military training camps.

The director of staff section of the armed forces, General Hachalu, recently said in an discussion that the military was in a "reliable position" as "many thousands of youths" were enlisting, which he said was "a message to our opponents".

Historical Background of the Dispute

For decades from 1890, the territory was ruled by Italian colonisers.

Following Italy's defeat, it was then controlled by the British military before evolving into a federated part of Ethiopia.

But in the early 1960s the Ethiopian emperor ended this arrangement and the region became completely integrated into the Ethiopian state.

A thirty-year armed struggle ensued, concluding with military reversal in the early 1990s. Sovereignty was then endorsed by voters in a plebiscite in 1993.

Briefly in the 1990s, there were positive ties between the leadership in Ethiopia's capital and Eritrea's capital, but they clashed over the exact location of their common border, leading to war in 1998.

Even though this finished in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was never fully implemented, and the two nations stayed at odds.

This situation improved in 2018, when Abiy made overtures to Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki. The two endorsed a announcement that the conflict was over – a decision that earned Abiy the prestigious award.

The both administrations were then cooperators in Ethiopia's recent internal conflict in Tigray.

But relations have since broken down again.