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Increasing concerns are present about the possibility of armed conflict among Horn of Africa neighbours, the Ethiopian government and the Eritrean government, as hostile language has intensified in the past few weeks.

What Did Ethiopia Said?

Landlocked Ethiopia's requests for entry to the sea coast through Eritrean territory has triggered a intense war of words.

The Ethiopian leader initially stated publicly in 2023 that his country's access to the sea was an crucial concern, remarks that Eritrea ignored.

Relations between the both governments have frequently been strained. After a prolonged battle for independence, Eritrea, which has a long maritime frontage, formally separated from Ethiopia in the early 1990s, leaving it landlocked.

In 1998, a border war broke out in which more than 100,000 people lost their lives.

Recent Comments from Ethiopia's Government

Prime Minister Abiy and army chief the army commander have directly stated sovereignty of Eritrean coastal city of Assab – about 60km from the frontier - and hinted at the wish to seize it militarily.

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

Ethiopia's ambassador to neighboring Kenya, retired Gen Bacha Debele, said that the port was "belonging to Ethiopia" and would be restored "through military action".

Eritrea's Answer to the Threats

Despite ongoing challenges from Ethiopian officials, Asmara's position has been restricted to brief comments on online platforms from Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel.

Officials have denied Ethiopia's push for access to the Red Sea describing it as "hazardous" and a "negative policy" of "expansionism" – a approach of reclaiming previous domains.

The information ministry cautioned on recently that efforts to justify "blatant hostility" would have significant repercussions for Ethiopia and its regional partners and is a "limit that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Military Preparations on the Region

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

However, in the country, national TV has broadcast graduation ceremonies of numerous trainees at multiple army bases.

The leader of staff section of the military, General Hachalu, recently said in an interview that the military was in a "strong stance" as "numerous of recruits" were joining it, which he said was "a warning to our enemies".

Previous Roots of the Conflict

For more than half a century from 1890, the territory was administered by colonial powers.

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

But in the early 1960s the Ethiopian emperor cancelled this system and Eritrea became fully incorporated into the Ethiopian state.

A extended civil war ensued, ending with the government's loss in the early 1990s. Autonomy was then approved by Eritreans in a referendum in 1993.

Temporarily in the 1990s, there were good relations between the governments in Ethiopia's capital and Asmara, but they disagreed over the exact location of their shared boundary, leading to conflict in 1998.

Even though this ended in a truce in 2000, it was partially applied, and the two nations stayed at odds.

This ended in 2018, when the Prime Minister made gestures to Eritrea's leader the president. The two agreed to a statement that the war was concluded – a decision that won Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize.

The two governments were then cooperators in the country's recent civil war in the northern region.

Yet ties have later worsened again.