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Increasing worries are present over the chance of military engagement involving Horn of Africa neighbours, the Ethiopian government and the Eritrean government, as aggressive language has intensified in recent weeks.

What Has Ethiopian Officials Declared?

Landlocked Ethiopia's calls for access to the sea coast through Eritrea has sparked a fierce war of words.

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

Ties between the two countries have regularly been difficult. Following a long-standing fight for sovereignty, the Eritrean state, which has a long maritime frontage, formally separated from Ethiopia in the early 1990s, rendering it landlocked.

Five years later, a territorial conflict erupted in which more than 100,000 people were killed.

Current Comments from Ethiopia's Government

Prime Minister Abiy and army chief General Birhanu Jula have openly claimed control of Eritrean coastal city of the port of Assab – approximately 60 kilometers from the frontier - and hinted at the desire to seize it militarily.

In early September, the Prime Minister said Ethiopia's "error" of losing entry to the Red Sea as a because of Eritrea secession would be "rectified tomorrow".

The Ethiopian envoy to Kenya, retired Gen Bacha Debele, said that the port was "Ethiopian property" and would be given back "by force".

Eritrea's Response to the Claims

Amid continuous warnings from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's reaction has been limited to brief comments on social media from Communications Head Yemane Gebremeskel.

The minister has dismissed Ethiopia's push for access to the Red Sea labeling it "hazardous" and a "negative policy" of "expansionism" – a approach of claiming back previous domains.

Eritrean authorities cautioned on 16 September that moves to legitimise "obvious provocation" would have serious consequences for the Ethiopian government and its regional partners and is a "limit that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Defense Movements on the Ground

Currently, there are no reports of major military movements in the border areas between the neighboring states.

Nevertheless, in the country, government media has displayed training completions of many recruits at different defense facilities.

The leader of personnel division of the defense force, General Hachalu, stated recently in an discussion that the defense forces was in a "reliable position" as "numerous of young people" were joining it, which he said was "a signal to our enemies".

Past Roots of the Conflict

For over fifty years from 1890, the territory was governed by colonial powers.

Following Italy's defeat, it was then controlled by the UK forces before evolving into a integrated region of the Ethiopian empire.

But in 1962 the ruler cancelled this arrangement and Eritrea became totally absorbed into Ethiopia.

A three-decade long armed struggle followed, concluding with Ethiopia's defeat in the early 1990s. Sovereignty was then approved by voters in a plebiscite in 1993.

Temporarily in the 1990s, there were friendly connections between the leadership in Addis Ababa and Asmara, but they fell out over the exact location of their shared boundary, resulting in conflict in 1998.

Though this concluded in a peace deal in 2000, it was never fully implemented, and the neighbors continued at odds.

This situation improved in 2018, when Abiy made approaches to Eritrean President the president. The both leaders agreed to a announcement that the hostilities was concluded – a move that gained the Prime Minister the Nobel Peace Prize.

The two governments were then partners in Ethiopia's recent civil war in the northern region.

However diplomatic connections have subsequently deteriorated once more.