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Increasing worries exist about the chance of warfare among East African neighbours, the Ethiopian government and the Eritrean government, as confrontational discourse has ratcheted up in the last month.

What Has Ethiopia Declared?

Landlocked Ethiopia's demands for passage to the maritime outlet through Eritrea has sparked a heated war of words.

The Ethiopian leader first openly declared in 2023 that his nation's maritime access was an vital issue, statements that Eritrea rejected.

Relations between the neighboring nations have regularly been difficult. After a prolonged fight for sovereignty, the Eritrean state, which has a extensive maritime frontage, formally separated from Ethiopian rule in the early 1990s, leaving it without sea access.

In 1998, a border war broke out in which over a hundred thousand people were killed.

Latest Comments from Ethiopia's Government

Prime Minister Abiy and military leader the army commander have directly stated ownership of Eritrea's coastal city of Assab – approximately 60 kilometers from the boundary - and hinted at the desire to seize it militarily.

On 1 September, Abiy said the country's "error" of being denied passage to the sea as a due to Eritrea secession would be "addressed in the future".

Ethiopia's ambassador to neighboring Kenya, ex-military officer Bacha, said that Assab was "belonging to Ethiopia" and would be given back "through military action".

Eritrean Response to the Statements

Amid persistent threats from Ethiopia, Eritrea's response has been confined to short statements on online platforms from Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel.

The minister has dismissed Ethiopia's push for access to the Red Sea labeling it "risky" and a "negative policy" of "expansionism" – a policy of claiming back former lands.

The information ministry alerted on 16 September that efforts to justify "blatant hostility" would have major implications for Ethiopia and its regional partners and is a "boundary that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Security Movements on the Region

Currently, there are few indications of major military movements in the border areas between the both nations.

Nevertheless, in Ethiopia, national TV has shown graduation ceremonies of thousands of cadets at various military training camps.

The leader of staff section of the defense force, the officer, commented lately in an conversation that the army was in a "secure situation" as "many thousands of recruits" were entering service, which he said was "a message to our adversaries".

Past Origins of the Tension

For over fifty years from the late 19th century, Eritrea was governed by colonial powers.

Following World War II, it was then controlled by the British military before becoming a integrated region of Ethiopia.

However in 1962 the ruler terminated this arrangement and the region became totally absorbed into Ethiopia.

A three-decade long armed struggle followed, ending with military reversal in the early 1990s. Autonomy was then approved by Eritreans in a vote in 1993.

For a few years in the 1990s, there were good relations between the leadership in Addis Ababa and Asmara, but they disagreed over the specific demarcation of their shared boundary, causing hostilities in 1998.

Though this ended in a peace deal in 2000, it was incompletely executed, and the both countries remained at in dispute.

This changed in 2018, when Abiy made approaches to Eritrean President President Isaias. The both leaders endorsed a announcement that the conflict was over – a action that earned the Prime Minister the prestigious award.

The two governments were then cooperators in Ethiopia's 2020-2022 armed struggle in Tigray.

However diplomatic connections have subsequently deteriorated anew.