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Growing apprehensions exist over the potential of armed conflict involving East African neighbours, Ethiopia and the Eritrean government, as aggressive language has intensified in the last month.

What Has Ethiopian Officials Declared?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, demands for access to the Red Sea through Eritrean territory has triggered a intense war of words.

The Ethiopian leader previously announced in 2023 that his government's sea access was an vital issue, statements that Eritrea ignored.

Relations between the two countries have frequently been strained. Following a long-standing battle for independence, Eritrea, which has a 1,350km (840-mile) Red Sea coastline, officially seceded from Ethiopia in the early 1990s, making it without sea access.

In 1998, a military clash broke out in which numerous people were killed.

Current Statements from Ethiopia's Government

Prime Minister Abiy and army chief the army commander have openly claimed control of Eritrea's southern port of the port of Assab – about 60km from the border - and suggested the desire to capture it through military means.

Recently, the Prime Minister said the country's "blunder" of losing entry to the sea as a because of Eritrea's separation would be "rectified tomorrow".

Ethiopia's ambassador to Kenya, former General Bacha Debele, said that Assab was "Ethiopian property" and would be restored "using武力".

Eritrea's Reaction to the Claims

Amid ongoing threats from Ethiopia, Asmara's position has been confined to short statements on X from Communications Head Yemane Gebremeskel.

He has rejected Ethiopian requests for maritime entry calling it "risky" and a "harmful plan" of "expansionism" – a approach of reclaiming previous domains.

Eritrean authorities warned on 16 September that efforts to validate "obvious provocation" would have serious consequences for Ethiopia and its regional partners and is a "boundary that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Security Activities on the Region

There have been no reports of significant troop deployments in the boundary zones between the both nations.

Nevertheless, in Ethiopia, national TV has displayed training completions of numerous trainees at multiple army bases.

The director of personnel division of the military, the officer, commented lately in an conversation that the defense forces was in a "secure situation" as "many thousands of recruits" were entering service, which he said was "a message to our opponents".

Past Background of the Conflict

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

Following World War II, it was then managed by the UK forces before becoming a federated part of the Ethiopian empire.

However in the early 1960s the ruler cancelled this system and Eritrea became completely integrated into the Ethiopian state.

A extended internal conflict ensued, concluding with Ethiopia's defeat in 1991. Autonomy was then approved by voters in a vote in 1993.

For a few years in the 1990s, there were friendly connections between the authorities in Ethiopia's capital and Asmara, but they disagreed over the specific demarcation of their mutual frontier, resulting in hostilities in 1998.

Though this finished in a truce in 2000, it was never fully implemented, and the neighbors continued at in dispute.

This ended in 2018, when the Prime Minister made gestures to Eritrean President the president. The both leaders endorsed a statement that the hostilities was over – a move that gained Abiy the international recognition.

The neighboring states were then cooperators in the country's 2020-2022 armed struggle in the northern region.

However ties have subsequently deteriorated again.