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Mounting concerns are present over the possibility of warfare among East African countries, Ethiopia and the Eritrean government, as confrontational discourse has ratcheted up in recent weeks.

What Did Ethiopia Said?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, requests for access to the sea coast through Eritrea has sparked a heated rhetorical conflict.

The Ethiopian leader previously announced in last year that his government's maritime access was an crucial concern, remarks that Eritrea ignored.

Relations between the neighboring nations have frequently been strained. After a decades-long fight for sovereignty, Eritrea, which has a long Red Sea coastline, officially seceded from Ethiopia in 1993, rendering it cut off from the sea.

Five years later, a military clash started in which numerous people died.

Latest Comments from Ethiopia's Officials

Prime Minister Abiy and military leader Field Marshal Birhanu Jula have directly stated control of Eritrean coastal city of the port of Assab – approximately 60 kilometers from the border - and hinted at 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 due to Eritrea secession would be "corrected soon".

Ethiopia's ambassador to Kenya, ex-military officer Bacha, said that Assab was "belonging to Ethiopia" and would be returned "using武力".

Eritrea's Response to the Threats

In the face of ongoing challenges from Ethiopia, Asmara's position has been confined to concise remarks on social media from Information Minister the minister.

Officials have denied Ethiopia's demand for access to the Red Sea labeling it "risky" and a "harmful plan" of "territorial claims" – a strategy of retaking former lands.

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

Security Activities on the Border

Currently, there are little evidence of major military movements in the boundary zones between the two countries.

However, in Ethiopia, national TV has shown training completions of numerous trainees at multiple army bases.

The leader of staff section of the defense force, the officer, recently said in an interview that the army was in a "reliable position" as "numerous of recruits" were joining it, which he said was "a message to our opponents".

Historical Background of the Tension

For decades from the late 19th century, the territory was governed by Italian rulers.

Following Italy's defeat, it was then controlled by the UK forces before becoming a federated part of the Ethiopian empire.

However in the early 1960s the ruler cancelled this agreement and Eritrea became fully incorporated into Ethiopia.

A extended civil war followed, ending with the government's loss in 1991. Autonomy was then endorsed by Eritreans in a vote in 1993.

Briefly in the 1990s, there were positive ties between the authorities in Addis Ababa and Asmara, but they fell out over the exact location of their common border, leading to conflict in 1998.

Even though this concluded in a peace deal in 2000, it was partially applied, and the two nations continued at odds.

This changed in 2018, when Abiy made approaches to Eritrean President the president. The both leaders agreed to a announcement that the conflict was over – a action that won Abiy the prestigious award.

The both administrations were then allies in Ethiopia's 2020-2022 armed struggle in the northern region.

However diplomatic connections have later worsened anew.