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Increasing concerns exist over the chance of warfare among Horn of Africa neighbors, the Ethiopian government and the Eritrean government, as confrontational language has intensified in the last month.

What Has Ethiopia Stated?

Landlocked Ethiopia's calls for access to the Red Sea through Eritrean territory has provoked a fierce verbal exchange.

The Ethiopian leader previously announced in 2023 that his country's access to the sea was an crucial concern, comments that Eritrea rejected.

Relations between the two countries have regularly been difficult. After a long-standing fight for sovereignty, Eritrea, which has a extensive maritime frontage, formally separated from Ethiopian rule in 1993, making it landlocked.

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

Recent Statements from Ethiopian Leadership

Prime Minister Abiy and army chief Field Marshal Birhanu Jula have openly claimed ownership of Eritrean maritime facility of Assab – about 60km from the border - and hinted at the wish to capture it through military means.

On 1 September, the Prime Minister said Ethiopia's "error" of losing access to the Red Sea as a result of Eritrea secession would be "corrected in the future".

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

Eritrea's Reaction to the Threats

Amid persistent warnings from Ethiopia, Eritrea's response has been confined to concise remarks on social media from Communications Head the minister.

The minister has dismissed Ethiopia's demand for sea access labeling it "dangerous" and a "harmful plan" of "expansionism" – a approach of reclaiming former lands.

Eritrean authorities cautioned on 16 September that moves to validate "obvious provocation" would have major implications for Ethiopia and its neighbors and is a "boundary that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Defense Activities on the Border

Currently, there are no reports of major military movements in the boundary zones between the both nations.

However, in the country, government media has displayed training completions of numerous trainees at various military training camps.

The head of human resources department of the defense force, the officer, recently said in an interview that the defense forces was in a "strong stance" as "many thousands of young people" were entering service, which he said was "a signal to our enemies".

Previous Background of the Conflict

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

After the end of Italian rule, it was then administered by the British administration before turning into a associated territory of Ethiopia.

But in 1962 Emperor Haile Selassie I cancelled this arrangement and Eritrea became totally absorbed into Ethiopia.

A thirty-year internal conflict followed, concluding with Ethiopia's defeat in the early 1990s. Sovereignty was then confirmed by Eritreans in a referendum in 1993.

For a few years in the 1990s, there were positive ties between the leadership in Addis Ababa and Asmara, but they clashed over the exact location of their common border, causing war in 1998.

Although this ended in a peace deal in 2000, it was never fully implemented, and the two nations remained at in dispute.

This ended in 2018, when Abiy made approaches to Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki. The two endorsed a declaration that the hostilities was finished – a move that earned the Prime Minister the prestigious award.

The both administrations were then cooperators in Ethiopia's 2020-2022 internal conflict in the northern region.

However relations have later worsened again.