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Growing concerns have emerged regarding the possibility of military engagement between Horn of Africa countries, Ethiopia and Eritrea, as aggressive rhetoric has escalated in the last month.

What Has Ethiopia Said?

Landlocked Ethiopia's calls for passage to the sea coast through Eritrean territory has triggered a heated war of words.

The Ethiopian leader first openly declared in last year that his nation's access to the sea was an crucial concern, remarks that Eritrea dismissed.

Diplomatic connections between the two countries have regularly been difficult. Following a prolonged battle for independence, Eritrea, which has a extensive maritime frontage, legally broke away from Ethiopia in 1993, leaving it without sea access.

Subsequently, a border war erupted in which over a hundred thousand people were killed.

Latest Statements from Ethiopian Officials

Prime Minister Abiy and military leader General Birhanu Jula have directly stated sovereignty of Eritrean coastal city of Assab – approximately 60 kilometers from the frontier - and suggested the desire to take it by force.

In early September, the Prime Minister said Ethiopia's "error" of losing access to the Red Sea as a result of Eritrea secession would be "rectified soon".

The Ethiopian envoy to neighboring Kenya, retired Gen Bacha Debele, said that Assab was "Ethiopia's wealth" and would be given back "by force".

Eritrea's Answer to the Statements

In the face of continuous challenges from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's response has been restricted to brief comments on online platforms from Information Minister the minister.

He has rejected Ethiopia's push for maritime entry describing it as "risky" and a "toxic agenda" of "irredentism" – a strategy of reclaiming lost territory.

The information ministry warned on recently that attempts to justify "obvious provocation" would have major implications for the Ethiopian government and its neighbouring countries and is a "boundary that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Defense Movements on the Border

So far, there are no reports of large-scale army activities in the boundary zones between the neighboring states.

Nevertheless, in Ethiopia, state television has shown training completions of numerous trainees at various military training camps.

The director of human resources department of the armed forces, General Hachalu, recently said in an discussion that the defense forces was in a "strong stance" as "many thousands of recruits" were joining it, which he said was "a message to our enemies".

Past Background of the Conflict

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

After the end of Italian rule, it was then administered by the British administration before turning into a associated territory of Ethiopia.

Yet in 1962 the ruler cancelled this agreement and Eritrea became fully incorporated into Ethiopia.

A thirty-year internal conflict followed, finishing with military reversal in 1991. Independence was then confirmed by the population in a vote in 1993.

Temporarily in the 1990s, there were friendly connections between the authorities in Addis Ababa and Asmara, but they fell out over the precise positioning of their mutual frontier, causing conflict in 1998.

Even though this concluded in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was partially applied, and the both countries remained at in dispute.

This ended in 2018, when the Prime Minister made gestures to Eritrean President the president. The two signed a declaration that the hostilities was concluded – a move that won Abiy the prestigious award.

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

However diplomatic connections have since broken down again.