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Growing apprehensions are present regarding the potential of military engagement involving Horn of Africa countries, Ethiopia and Eritrea, as hostile rhetoric has escalated in the past few weeks.

What Has Ethiopian Officials Said?

Landlocked Ethiopia's requests for entry to the sea coast through Eritrean territory has triggered a intense verbal exchange.

PM Abiy Ahmed previously announced in the previous year that his nation's access to the sea was an existential matter, comments that Eritrean authorities rejected.

Relations between the both governments have regularly been difficult. After a decades-long fight for sovereignty, the Eritrean state, which has a 1,350km (840-mile) maritime frontage, officially seceded from Ethiopia in 1993, rendering it landlocked.

Five years later, a military clash broke out in which more than 100,000 people died.

Recent Remarks from Ethiopian Government

Abiy and military leader the army commander have openly claimed ownership of Eritrean southern port of the port of Assab – about 60km from the frontier - and hinted at the wish to seize it militarily.

Recently, the Prime Minister said Ethiopia's "mistake" of losing access to the sea as a because of Eritrea's separation would be "rectified in the future".

The Ethiopian envoy to neighboring Kenya, ex-military officer Bacha, said that the port was "Ethiopian property" and would be returned "by force".

Eritrean Reaction to the Threats

In the face of continuous challenges from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's reaction has been limited to brief comments on online platforms from Information Minister Yemane G..

Officials have denied Ethiopia's demand for sea access calling it "risky" and a "harmful plan" of "expansionism" – a strategy of retaking former lands.

Government spokespeople cautioned on 16 September that attempts to legitimise "obvious provocation" would have significant repercussions for Ethiopia and its regional partners and is a "redline that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Military Activities on the Border

So far, there are little evidence of significant troop deployments in the border areas between the two countries.

Nevertheless, in the country, government media has displayed graduation ceremonies of thousands of cadets at various military training camps.

The leader of human resources department of the armed forces, the officer, stated recently in an discussion that the military was in a "reliable position" as "many thousands of youths" were joining it, which he said was "a signal to our opponents".

Previous Background of the Dispute

For over fifty years from the late 19th century, Eritrea was governed by colonial powers.

After Italy's defeat, it was then administered by the British administration before evolving into a associated territory of Ethiopia.

However in the early 1960s the ruler cancelled this agreement and Eritrea became totally absorbed into the Ethiopian state.

A three-decade long internal conflict ensued, ending with Ethiopia's defeat in the early 1990s. Independence was then approved by voters in a plebiscite in 1993.

Briefly in the 1990s, there were good relations between the governments in Ethiopia's capital and Asmara, but they disagreed over the precise positioning of their common border, resulting in hostilities in 1998.

Though this ended in a peace deal in 2000, it was incompletely executed, and the both countries stayed at in dispute.

This situation improved in 2018, when the Prime Minister made approaches to Eritrean President the president. The both leaders signed a announcement that the conflict was concluded – a move that earned the Prime Minister the international recognition.

The both administrations were then partners in the country's 2020-2022 armed struggle in the northern region.

However diplomatic connections have later worsened again.