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Increasing apprehensions exist over the potential of military engagement between East African neighbours, the Ethiopian government and the Eritrean government, as confrontational language has intensified in the past few weeks.

What Has Ethiopia Declared?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, calls for entry to the Red Sea through Eritrean territory has provoked a heated rhetorical conflict.

Ethiopian Prime Minister previously announced in the previous year that his nation's access to the sea was an existential matter, comments that Eritrean authorities ignored.

Relations between the neighboring nations have regularly been difficult. After a prolonged fight for sovereignty, the Eritrean state, which has a long Red Sea coastline, formally separated from Ethiopia in the early 1990s, rendering it without sea access.

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

Current Comments from Ethiopia's Leadership

Abiy and military leader General Birhanu Jula have openly claimed sovereignty of Eritrean maritime facility of Assab – approximately 60 kilometers from the boundary - and implied the wish to capture it through military means.

In early September, the Prime Minister said the country's "blunder" of being denied passage to the sea as a due to Eritrea's separation would be "corrected in the future".

Ethiopia's ambassador to neighboring Kenya, ex-military officer Bacha, said that the port was "Ethiopian property" and would be given back "using武力".

Eritrea's Response to the Statements

In the face of persistent threats from Ethiopia, Asmara's position has been confined to short statements on online platforms from Communications Head Yemane G..

Officials have denied Ethiopia's push for access to the Red Sea describing it as "hazardous" and a "harmful plan" of "expansionism" – a approach of reclaiming former lands.

Government spokespeople cautioned on mid-September that attempts to validate "blatant hostility" would have major implications for Ethiopia and its neighbouring countries and is a "limit that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Military Activities on the Ground

Currently, there are no reports of large-scale army activities in the border areas between the two countries.

However, in Ethiopia, government media has displayed training completions of numerous trainees at multiple army bases.

The head of human resources department of the military, General Hachalu, commented lately in an discussion that the army was in a "reliable position" as "numerous of young people" were enlisting, which he said was "a signal to our opponents".

Historical Background of the Tension

For decades from 1890, the territory was governed by Italian rulers.

After Italy's defeat, it was then managed by the UK forces before evolving into a integrated region of Ethiopia.

However in 1962 Emperor Haile Selassie I terminated this system and Eritrea became totally absorbed into the Ethiopian state.

A three-decade long armed struggle ensued, ending with Ethiopia's defeat in the early 1990s. Independence was then confirmed by voters in a plebiscite in 1993.

Briefly in the 1990s, there were friendly connections between the leadership in Addis Ababa and Eritrea's capital, but they disagreed over the specific demarcation of their common border, causing hostilities in 1998.

Although this finished in a peace deal in 2000, it was partially applied, and the two nations stayed at odds.

This ended in 2018, when Abiy made overtures to Eritrea's leader President Isaias. The both leaders endorsed a statement that the hostilities was concluded – a move that won the Prime Minister the Nobel Peace Prize.

The both administrations were then allies in the country's recent armed struggle in the northern region.

Yet relations have subsequently deteriorated again.