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Mounting worries exist regarding the potential of warfare between Horn of Africa neighbours, the Ethiopian government and Eritrea, as aggressive language has ratcheted up in the last month.

What Has Ethiopia Said?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, calls for entry to the Red Sea through Eritrean territory has provoked a intense war of words.

Ethiopian Prime Minister previously announced in 2023 that his government's sea access was an crucial concern, statements that Eritrean authorities rejected.

Ties between the two countries have regularly been difficult. After a prolonged struggle for freedom, the Eritrean state, which has a extensive sea border, legally broke away from Ethiopian rule in 1993, leaving it cut off from the sea.

In 1998, a territorial conflict erupted in which more than 100,000 people lost their lives.

Current Statements from Ethiopia's Officials

Prime Minister Abiy and military leader General Birhanu Jula have publicly asserted sovereignty of Eritrea's maritime facility of the port of Assab – approximately 60 kilometers from the frontier - and suggested the wish to take it by force.

On 1 September, the Prime Minister said Ethiopia's "blunder" of being denied passage to the sea as a because of Eritrean independence would be "rectified in the future".

Ethiopia's ambassador to neighboring Kenya, former General Bacha Debele, said that the port was "belonging to Ethiopia" and would be given back "by force".

Eritrea's Reaction to the Claims

Despite ongoing threats from Ethiopia, Asmara's position has been limited to concise remarks on social media from Communications Head the minister.

Officials have denied Ethiopia's demand for access to the Red Sea calling it "hazardous" and a "toxic agenda" of "territorial claims" – a policy of retaking former lands.

Government spokespeople alerted on recently that efforts to validate "blatant hostility" would have major implications for Ethiopia and its regional partners and is a "limit that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Military Activities on the Border

There have been few indications of major military movements in the boundary zones between the both nations.

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

The head of staff section of the military, Lt Gen Hachalu Sheleme, recently said in an conversation that the military was in a "reliable position" as "many thousands of recruits" were joining it, which he said was "a message to our enemies".

Past Roots of the Conflict

For more than half a century from the late 19th century, the territory was administered by Italian rulers.

Following the end of Italian rule, it was then managed by the British administration before turning into a associated territory of the Ethiopian empire.

But in 1962 the ruler terminated this system and Eritrea became completely integrated into the Ethiopian state.

A extended civil war ensued, concluding with military reversal in 1991. Autonomy was then confirmed by the population in a referendum in 1993.

Briefly in the 1990s, there were positive ties between the governments in Ethiopia's capital and Eritrea's capital, but they disagreed over the exact location of their shared boundary, resulting in hostilities in 1998.

Even though this concluded in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was never fully implemented, and the two nations continued at in dispute.

This situation improved in 2018, when Abiy made gestures to Eritrean President President Isaias. The both leaders endorsed a statement that the war was over – a decision that earned the Prime Minister the Nobel Peace Prize.

The both administrations were then allies in the country's 2020-2022 armed struggle in Tigray.

Yet ties have later worsened anew.