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Mounting apprehensions are present about the potential of armed conflict among East African neighbors, the Ethiopian government and Eritrea, as confrontational rhetoric has ratcheted up in the past few weeks.

What Has Ethiopia Declared?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, requests for entry to the maritime outlet through Eritrea has sparked a fierce rhetorical conflict.

PM Abiy Ahmed initially stated publicly in the previous year that his nation's sea access was an existential matter, comments that Eritrean authorities dismissed.

Diplomatic connections between the neighboring nations have regularly been difficult. After a decades-long battle for independence, Eritrea, which has a extensive sea border, formally separated from Ethiopian rule in 1993, making it without sea access.

Subsequently, a territorial conflict started in which numerous people lost their lives.

Latest Comments from Ethiopian Officials

Abiy and army chief General Birhanu Jula have directly stated control of Eritrea's southern port of Assab – approximately 60 kilometers from the boundary - and implied the intention to capture it through military means.

On 1 September, the Prime Minister said the country's "mistake" of losing access to the Red Sea as a due to Eritrea secession would be "addressed soon".

Ethiopia's ambassador to neighboring Kenya, former General Bacha Debele, said that the port was "Ethiopian property" and would be restored "using武力".

Eritrean Response to the Claims

In the face of continuous challenges from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's response has been limited to concise remarks on online platforms from Information Minister Yemane G..

Officials have denied Ethiopia's push for sea access describing it as "hazardous" and a "toxic agenda" of "territorial claims" – a strategy of claiming back lost territory.

The information ministry warned on 16 September that attempts to legitimise "obvious provocation" would have major implications for Ethiopia and its neighbors and is a "boundary that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Military Preparations on the Region

There have been little evidence of major military movements in the boundary zones between the neighboring states.

Nevertheless, in the country, national TV has displayed completion events of many recruits at various military training camps.

The head of staff section of the military, General Hachalu, commented lately in an conversation that the military was in a "reliable position" as "tens of thousands of recruits" were joining it, which he said was "a message to our enemies".

Previous Origins of the Dispute

For over fifty years from 1890, the territory was governed by colonial powers.

After Italy's defeat, it was then controlled by the UK forces before evolving into a federated part of Ethiopia.

But in 1962 Emperor Haile Selassie I terminated this agreement and the region became completely integrated into Ethiopia.

A three-decade long armed struggle occurred, concluding with Ethiopia's defeat in the early 1990s. Independence was then confirmed by voters in a plebiscite in 1993.

Temporarily in the 1990s, there were friendly connections between the leadership in Addis Ababa and Eritrea's capital, but they disagreed over the precise positioning of their mutual frontier, resulting in hostilities in 1998.

Even though this finished in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was partially applied, and the neighbors stayed at in dispute.

This situation improved in 2018, when Abiy made gestures to Eritrea's leader the president. The two signed a declaration that the hostilities was finished – a action that earned the Prime Minister the international recognition.

The two governments were then cooperators in the country's previous internal conflict in Tigray.

However diplomatic connections have later worsened again.