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Increasing worries exist about the potential of military engagement between East African countries, the Ethiopian government and Eritrea, as confrontational language has escalated in the last month.

What Did Ethiopian Officials Declared?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, requests for entry to the sea coast through Eritrean territory has provoked a intense verbal exchange.

Ethiopian Prime Minister first openly declared in 2023 that his nation's maritime access was an existential matter, comments that Eritrean authorities ignored.

Ties between the neighboring nations have frequently been strained. Following a decades-long fight for sovereignty, Eritrea, which has a 1,350km (840-mile) sea border, formally separated from Ethiopia in 1993, making it without sea access.

In 1998, a border war broke out in which more than 100,000 people were killed.

Current Remarks from Ethiopia's Government

Abiy and military leader the army commander have openly claimed control of Eritrea's maritime facility of the port of Assab – some 60 km from the border - and suggested the intention to capture it through military means.

Recently, Abiy said the country's "mistake" of losing access to the sea as a because of Eritrean independence would be "rectified tomorrow".

Ethiopia's ambassador to Kenya, former General Bacha Debele, said that Assab was "Ethiopian property" and would be restored "by force".

Eritrea's Answer to the Statements

Despite continuous threats from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's response 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 calling it "risky" and a "negative policy" of "territorial claims" – a approach of reclaiming previous domains.

Eritrean authorities warned on recently that efforts to legitimise "blatant hostility" would have major implications for Ethiopia and its regional partners and is a "boundary that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Defense Activities on the Region

There have been little evidence of major military movements in the border areas between the two countries.

Nevertheless, in Ethiopia, government media has displayed completion events of numerous trainees at multiple army bases.

The director of staff section of the military, the officer, stated recently in an discussion that the defense forces was in a "strong stance" as "numerous of youths" were entering service, which he said was "a signal to our adversaries".

Past Background of the Dispute

For decades from 1890, Eritrea was administered by Italian colonisers.

Following World War II, it was then controlled by the UK forces before evolving into a integrated region of the Ethiopian empire.

However in 1962 Emperor Haile Selassie I cancelled this system and Eritrea became completely integrated into the Ethiopian state.

A three-decade long armed struggle ensued, finishing with military reversal in 1991. Independence was then confirmed by Eritreans in a plebiscite in 1993.

Briefly in the 1990s, there were positive ties between the authorities in Addis Ababa and Asmara, but they disagreed over the specific demarcation of their common border, causing war in 1998.

Though this finished in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was partially applied, and the neighbors stayed at loggerheads.

This situation improved in 2018, when Abiy made overtures to Eritrean President President Isaias. The both leaders agreed to a announcement that the conflict was concluded – a action that won Abiy the international recognition.

The neighboring states were then partners in the country's 2020-2022 civil war in the northern region.

But ties have since broken down again.