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Increasing concerns exist regarding the possibility of armed conflict involving East African neighbours, Ethiopia and the Eritrean government, as aggressive rhetoric has ratcheted up in the last month.

What Has Ethiopian Officials Said?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, demands for passage to the sea coast through Eritrean territory has provoked a heated verbal exchange.

The Ethiopian leader initially stated publicly in last year that his country's maritime access was an crucial concern, comments that Eritrean authorities dismissed.

Ties between the neighboring nations have regularly been difficult. After a decades-long struggle for freedom, Eritrea, which has a extensive Red Sea coastline, officially seceded from Ethiopian rule in 1993, making it without sea access.

In 1998, a territorial conflict started in which more than 100,000 people were killed.

Latest Remarks from Ethiopia's Leadership

Prime Minister Abiy and military leader General Birhanu Jula have openly claimed control of Eritrea's southern port of the port of Assab – about 60km from the boundary - and hinted at the intention to take it by force.

On 1 September, Abiy said the country's "blunder" of losing entry to the sea as a because of Eritrean independence would be "rectified tomorrow".

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

Eritrea's Answer to the Threats

Despite persistent threats from Ethiopia, Eritrea's response has been limited to concise remarks on online platforms from Communications Head Yemane G..

The minister has dismissed Ethiopian requests for sea access calling it "dangerous" and a "harmful plan" of "expansionism" – a policy of retaking previous domains.

Government spokespeople warned on mid-September that attempts to legitimise "blatant hostility" would have major implications for Ethiopia and its regional partners and is a "limit that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Defense Activities on the Border

There have been few indications of significant troop deployments in the boundary zones between the two countries.

Nevertheless, in Ethiopia, national TV has shown completion events of numerous trainees at various military training camps.

The leader of human resources department of the armed forces, Lt Gen Hachalu Sheleme, stated recently in an interview that the army was in a "strong stance" as "many thousands of youths" were entering service, which he said was "a warning to our opponents".

Past Background of the Conflict

For more than half a century from the late 19th century, the territory was ruled by colonial powers.

Following World War II, it was then controlled by the UK forces before evolving into a integrated region of Ethiopia.

However in the early 1960s Emperor Haile Selassie I terminated this arrangement and Eritrea became fully incorporated into the Ethiopian state.

A thirty-year civil war occurred, ending with military reversal in the early 1990s. Autonomy was then confirmed by Eritreans in a referendum in 1993.

Briefly in the 1990s, there were good relations between the governments in Ethiopia's capital and Eritrea's capital, but they clashed over the specific demarcation of their common border, causing hostilities in 1998.

Even though this ended in a truce in 2000, it was partially applied, and the both countries remained at in dispute.

This ended in 2018, when Abiy made approaches to Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki. The two agreed to a statement that the conflict was finished – a move that gained the Prime Minister the Nobel Peace Prize.

The neighboring states were then cooperators in Ethiopia's 2020-2022 internal conflict in the northern region.

But relations have subsequently deteriorated once more.