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Mounting worries exist over the chance of armed conflict among East African countries, the Ethiopian government and Eritrea, as hostile language has escalated in the past few weeks.

What Has Ethiopia Said?

Landlocked Ethiopia's demands for passage to the maritime outlet through Eritrean territory has triggered a intense verbal exchange.

Ethiopian Prime Minister first openly declared in 2023 that his government's access to the sea was an existential matter, remarks that Eritrea dismissed.

Ties between the neighboring nations have frequently been strained. Following a long-standing fight for sovereignty, the Eritrean state, which has a 1,350km (840-mile) Red Sea coastline, officially seceded from Ethiopian rule in 1993, making it cut off from the sea.

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

Current Remarks from Ethiopia's Government

Abiy and army chief Field Marshal Birhanu Jula have directly stated ownership of Eritrea's maritime facility of the port of Assab – about 60km from the border - and hinted at the wish to capture it through military means.

Recently, the Prime Minister said the country's "error" of losing entry to the sea as a result of Eritrean independence would be "addressed tomorrow".

Ethiopia's ambassador to neighboring Kenya, retired Gen Bacha Debele, said that the port was "Ethiopia's wealth" and would be given back "using武力".

Eritrea's Reaction to the Claims

Despite persistent threats from Ethiopia, Asmara's position has been limited to brief comments on social media from Communications Head the minister.

Officials have denied Ethiopian requests for maritime entry calling it "dangerous" and a "harmful plan" of "irredentism" – a strategy of retaking previous domains.

The information ministry cautioned on recently that efforts to justify "obvious provocation" would have serious consequences for Ethiopia and its regional partners and is a "limit that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Military Preparations on the Border

Currently, there are few indications of large-scale army activities in the frontier regions between the both nations.

Nevertheless, in the country, government media has shown completion events of thousands of cadets at different defense facilities.

The leader of personnel division of the military, General Hachalu, stated recently in an discussion that the military was in a "secure situation" as "numerous of young people" were entering service, which he said was "a signal to our enemies".

Previous Background of the Tension

For over fifty years from the late 19th century, the territory was ruled by Italian rulers.

Following World War II, it was then administered by the British military before evolving into a integrated region of the Ethiopian empire.

But in 1962 Emperor Haile Selassie I terminated this system and the region became fully incorporated into the Ethiopian state.

A extended internal conflict ensued, concluding with Ethiopia's defeat in the early 1990s. Autonomy was then confirmed by the population in a plebiscite in 1993.

For a few years in the 1990s, there were positive ties between the governments in Ethiopia's capital and Eritrea's capital, but they disagreed over the exact location of their shared boundary, causing conflict in 1998.

Although this ended in a peace deal in 2000, it was never fully implemented, and the two nations remained at loggerheads.

This ended in 2018, when the Prime Minister made overtures to Eritrean President President Isaias. The two agreed to a announcement that the conflict was finished – a action that earned the Prime Minister the Nobel Peace Prize.

The neighboring states were then cooperators in the country's previous civil war in Tigray.

But relations have subsequently deteriorated once more.