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Growing apprehensions have emerged over the potential of armed conflict between Horn of Africa countries, the Ethiopian government and the Eritrean government, as hostile rhetoric has intensified in the last month.

What Did Ethiopia Stated?

Landlocked Ethiopia's demands for passage to the sea coast through Eritrea has triggered a heated war of words.

Ethiopian Prime Minister previously announced in 2023 that his government's sea access was an vital issue, remarks that Eritrean authorities dismissed.

Ties between the both governments have regularly been difficult. Following a decades-long battle for independence, the Eritrean state, which has a extensive maritime frontage, officially seceded from Ethiopia in 1993, leaving it without sea access.

In 1998, a border war erupted in which over a hundred thousand people lost their lives.

Current Statements from Ethiopia's Leadership

Prime Minister Abiy and army chief General Birhanu Jula have openly claimed ownership of Eritrean southern port of the port of Assab – about 60km from the border - and suggested the wish to take it by force.

In early September, the Prime Minister said the country's "mistake" of being denied passage to the sea as a due to Eritrea's separation would be "rectified in the future".

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

Eritrean Reaction to the Threats

In the face of persistent warnings from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's response has been restricted to concise remarks on X from Communications Head the minister.

He has rejected Ethiopia's push for maritime entry calling it "dangerous" and a "toxic agenda" of "expansionism" – a approach of reclaiming lost territory.

Government spokespeople alerted on 16 September that moves to legitimise "flagrant aggression" would have significant repercussions for the Ethiopian government and its neighbouring countries and is a "limit that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Military Movements on the Border

Currently, there are little evidence of major military movements in the frontier regions between the two countries.

However, in Ethiopia, government media has displayed completion events of many recruits at multiple army bases.

The director of personnel division of the armed forces, the officer, commented lately in an conversation that the military was in a "strong stance" as "numerous of young people" were entering service, which he said was "a message to our adversaries".

Historical Origins of the Dispute

For decades from the late 19th century, the territory was governed by Italian rulers.

After World War II, it was then controlled by the UK forces before turning into a integrated region of the Ethiopian empire.

However in the early 1960s the ruler terminated this arrangement and Eritrea became fully incorporated into Ethiopia.

A thirty-year armed struggle ensued, concluding with military reversal in 1991. Sovereignty was then confirmed by the population in a referendum in 1993.

Briefly in the 1990s, there were positive ties between the leadership in Addis Ababa and Asmara, but they fell out over the specific demarcation of their shared boundary, causing conflict in 1998.

Though this ended in a truce in 2000, it was incompletely executed, and the neighbors continued at loggerheads.

This ended in 2018, when Abiy made approaches to Eritrea's leader the president. The two signed a statement that the conflict was concluded – a action that earned Abiy the international recognition.

The both administrations were then partners in the country's recent internal conflict in the northern region.

However ties have subsequently deteriorated once more.