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Increasing apprehensions have emerged regarding the chance of armed conflict involving Horn of Africa neighbours, Ethiopia and Eritrea, as confrontational language has intensified in recent weeks.

What Has Ethiopian Officials Declared?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, demands for passage to the sea coast through Eritrea has provoked a intense war of words.

PM Abiy Ahmed previously announced in the previous year that his nation's access to the sea was an vital issue, remarks that Eritrea ignored.

Relations between the two countries have often been tense. Following a decades-long struggle for freedom, Eritrea, which has a extensive maritime frontage, officially seceded from Ethiopian rule in 1993, leaving it without sea access.

Subsequently, a territorial conflict broke out in which over a hundred thousand people were killed.

Recent Remarks from Ethiopia's Officials

Prime Minister Abiy and military leader Field Marshal Birhanu Jula have directly stated control of Eritrean maritime facility of Assab – approximately 60 kilometers from the boundary - and implied the desire to take it by force.

On 1 September, the Prime Minister said Ethiopia's "error" of losing access to the sea as a due to Eritrea secession would be "addressed soon".

Ethiopia's ambassador to neighboring Kenya, former General Bacha Debele, said that the port was "Ethiopia's wealth" and would be returned "through military action".

Eritrean Reaction to the Threats

Amid ongoing challenges from Ethiopia, Asmara's position has been limited to brief comments on online platforms from Communications Head Yemane G..

The minister has dismissed Ethiopian requests for sea access describing it as "dangerous" and a "toxic agenda" of "territorial claims" – a policy of retaking lost territory.

The information ministry warned on 16 September that efforts to justify "flagrant aggression" would have major implications for the Ethiopian government and its neighbouring countries and is a "redline that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Military Movements on the Region

Currently, there are little evidence of significant troop deployments in the boundary zones between the neighboring states.

Nonetheless, in Ethiopia, national TV has displayed completion events of many recruits at various military training camps.

The leader of staff section of the military, the officer, commented lately in an interview that the army was in a "secure situation" as "many thousands of young people" were joining it, which he said was "a message to our enemies".

Previous Origins of the Tension

For more than half a century from 1890, Eritrea was administered by Italian rulers.

After the end of Italian rule, it was then controlled by the British administration before turning into a integrated region of Ethiopia.

However in 1962 the Ethiopian emperor cancelled this agreement and Eritrea became completely integrated into Ethiopia.

A extended civil war ensued, concluding with Ethiopia's defeat in 1991. Sovereignty was then confirmed by voters in a referendum in 1993.

Briefly in the 1990s, there were positive ties between the authorities in Ethiopia's capital and Asmara, but they fell out over the exact location of their mutual frontier, causing conflict in 1998.

Even though this ended in a truce in 2000, it was partially applied, and the two nations continued at loggerheads.

This situation improved in 2018, when Abiy made approaches to Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki. The two agreed to a announcement that the hostilities was concluded – a move that won Abiy the international recognition.

The both administrations were then cooperators in Ethiopia's previous civil war in the northern region.

But ties have since broken down anew.