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Increasing apprehensions are present about the chance of armed conflict between East African neighbours, Ethiopia and the Eritrean government, as confrontational language has escalated in the last month.

What Did Ethiopia Declared?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, demands for access to the maritime outlet through Eritrean territory has triggered a heated war of words.

The Ethiopian leader first openly declared in 2023 that his country's sea access was an vital issue, comments that Eritrea ignored.

Ties between the neighboring nations have regularly been difficult. Following a long-standing battle for independence, the Eritrean state, which has a extensive Red Sea coastline, formally separated from Ethiopia in the early 1990s, making it cut off from the sea.

Five years later, a territorial conflict broke out in which over a hundred thousand people were killed.

Recent Remarks from Ethiopia's Government

Abiy and army chief Field Marshal Birhanu Jula have openly claimed sovereignty of Eritrean coastal city of Assab – approximately 60 kilometers from the border - and suggested the wish to take it by force.

Recently, the Prime Minister said Ethiopia's "error" of being denied passage to the sea as a due to Eritrea secession would be "addressed tomorrow".

Ethiopia's ambassador to Kenya, ex-military officer Bacha, said that Assab was "Ethiopian property" and would be restored "through military action".

Eritrean Reaction to the Statements

Despite persistent challenges from Ethiopia, Asmara's position has been confined to concise remarks on social media from Information Minister Yemane G..

Officials have denied Ethiopia's demand for sea access describing it as "risky" and a "negative policy" of "territorial claims" – a strategy of claiming back previous domains.

The information ministry warned on recently that attempts to validate "flagrant aggression" would have significant repercussions for Ethiopia and its regional partners and is a "boundary that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Defense Movements on the Border

There have been no reports of major military movements in the frontier regions between the both nations.

Nevertheless, in the country, national TV has broadcast completion events of many recruits at different defense facilities.

The head of personnel division of the military, General Hachalu, recently said in an discussion that the defense forces was in a "secure situation" as "numerous of youths" were joining it, which he said was "a signal to our opponents".

Previous Origins of the Tension

For over fifty years from 1890, the territory was governed by Italian colonisers.

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

Yet in 1962 Emperor Haile Selassie I cancelled this arrangement and Eritrea became totally absorbed into Ethiopia.

A three-decade long armed struggle ensued, finishing with Ethiopia's defeat in 1991. Sovereignty was then approved by the population in a vote in 1993.

Briefly in the 1990s, there were friendly connections between the leadership in Addis Ababa and Eritrea's capital, but they fell out over the exact location of their mutual frontier, leading to war in 1998.

Even though this finished in a peace deal in 2000, it was partially applied, and the two nations stayed at in dispute.

This situation improved in 2018, when Abiy made overtures to Eritrea's leader the president. The two endorsed a declaration that the hostilities was finished – a decision that gained Abiy the prestigious award.

The two governments were then allies in Ethiopia's 2020-2022 armed struggle in the northern region.

However relations have subsequently deteriorated again.