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Growing apprehensions have emerged about the chance of armed conflict among Horn of Africa neighbors, Ethiopia and Eritrea, as aggressive language has escalated in recent weeks.

What Did Ethiopia Declared?

Landlocked Ethiopia's calls for entry to the sea coast through Eritrean territory has sparked a heated verbal exchange.

PM Abiy Ahmed first openly declared in 2023 that his country's access to the sea was an crucial concern, statements that Eritrean authorities ignored.

Diplomatic connections between the both governments have often been tense. Following a prolonged battle for independence, the Eritrean state, which has a long maritime frontage, formally separated from Ethiopia in 1993, making it cut off from the sea.

Subsequently, a territorial conflict erupted in which over a hundred thousand people died.

Current Statements from Ethiopia's Government

Abiy and military leader the army commander have openly claimed ownership of Eritrea's southern port of the port of Assab – approximately 60 kilometers from the border - and implied the wish to seize it militarily.

Recently, Abiy said the country's "mistake" of losing access to the Red Sea as a result of Eritrean independence would be "addressed soon".

Ethiopia's ambassador to neighboring Kenya, ex-military officer Bacha, said that Assab was "belonging to Ethiopia" and would be returned "through military action".

Eritrean Answer to the Claims

Amid ongoing challenges from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's response has been limited to concise remarks on social media from Information Minister the minister.

Officials have denied Ethiopian requests for sea access describing it as "hazardous" and a "toxic agenda" of "territorial claims" – a approach of retaking lost territory.

Government spokespeople warned on mid-September that moves to justify "flagrant aggression" would have major implications for Ethiopia and its neighbors and is a "boundary that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Defense Activities on the Region

There have been few indications of significant troop deployments in the frontier regions between the both nations.

However, in the country, national TV has broadcast graduation ceremonies of many recruits at different defense facilities.

The leader of staff section of the defense force, the officer, recently said in an interview that the army was in a "strong stance" as "numerous of youths" were joining it, which he said was "a message to our enemies".

Previous Origins of the Dispute

For over fifty years from 1890, Eritrea was administered by Italian colonisers.

Following the end of Italian rule, it was then controlled by the British administration before becoming a federated part of the Ethiopian empire.

But in 1962 the ruler ended this agreement and the region became totally absorbed into Ethiopia.

A three-decade long armed struggle occurred, finishing with the government's loss in 1991. Sovereignty was then confirmed by Eritreans in a plebiscite in 1993.

Briefly in the 1990s, there were positive ties between the governments in Addis Ababa and Asmara, but they fell out over the exact location of their common border, resulting in conflict in 1998.

Although this ended in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was incompletely executed, and the two nations remained at in dispute.

This ended in 2018, when Abiy made approaches to Eritrean President the president. The both leaders agreed to a declaration that the war was over – a action that gained Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize.

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

But ties have later worsened anew.