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Increasing apprehensions exist over the potential of armed conflict involving Horn of Africa countries, the Ethiopian government and the Eritrean government, as confrontational rhetoric has intensified in the last month.

What Has Ethiopian Officials Stated?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, calls for access to the Red Sea through Eritrean territory has triggered a fierce war of words.

Ethiopian Prime Minister initially stated publicly in the previous year that his nation's access to the sea was an crucial concern, statements that Eritrea dismissed.

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, legally broke away from Ethiopian rule in the early 1990s, making it landlocked.

Subsequently, a territorial conflict started in which over a hundred thousand people were killed.

Current Comments from Ethiopian Leadership

Prime Minister Abiy and military leader the army commander have directly stated sovereignty of Eritrean maritime facility of Assab – approximately 60 kilometers from the boundary - and suggested the intention to take it by force.

On 1 September, Abiy said the country's "mistake" of losing entry to the sea as a due to Eritrea secession would be "corrected in the future".

Ethiopia's ambassador to Kenya, ex-military officer Bacha, said that the port was "belonging to Ethiopia" and would be returned "through military action".

Eritrea's Answer to the Statements

Amid continuous warnings from Ethiopian officials, Asmara's position has been limited to concise remarks on X from Information Minister Yemane G..

He has rejected Ethiopia's push for access to the Red Sea labeling it "risky" and a "harmful plan" of "expansionism" – a approach of reclaiming lost territory.

The information ministry cautioned on recently that moves to validate "obvious provocation" would have major implications for the Ethiopian government and its neighbors and is a "limit that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Defense Preparations on the Region

There have been few indications of major military movements in the boundary zones between the neighboring states.

Nevertheless, in the country, government media has displayed graduation ceremonies of numerous trainees at various military training camps.

The head of human resources department of the defense force, General Hachalu, recently said in an discussion that the army was in a "strong stance" as "tens of thousands of youths" were joining it, which he said was "a signal to our opponents".

Historical Origins of the Conflict

For decades from the late 19th century, the territory was ruled by colonial powers.

Following Italy's defeat, it was then administered by the British military before turning into a integrated region of the Ethiopian empire.

However in the early 1960s the ruler cancelled this system and the region became totally absorbed into Ethiopia.

A extended armed struggle followed, concluding with the government's loss in 1991. Autonomy was then endorsed by voters in a referendum in 1993.

For a few years in the 1990s, there were friendly connections between the authorities in Ethiopia's capital and Eritrea's capital, but they clashed over the exact location of their common border, leading to conflict in 1998.

Even though this ended in a peace deal in 2000, it was incompletely executed, and the two nations remained at loggerheads.

This situation improved in 2018, when Abiy made overtures to Eritrea's leader President Isaias. The two signed a statement that the war was finished – a decision that earned Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize.

The both administrations were then allies in Ethiopia's recent civil war in Tigray.

But ties have later worsened again.