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Mounting apprehensions are present about the possibility of military engagement among Horn of Africa neighbors, the Ethiopian government and Eritrea, as hostile discourse has intensified in the last month.

What Did Ethiopia Said?

Landlocked Ethiopia's requests for entry to the sea coast through Eritrea has sparked a fierce war of words.

PM Abiy Ahmed initially stated publicly in 2023 that his country's maritime access was an vital issue, remarks that Eritrea rejected.

Ties between the neighboring nations have frequently been strained. Following a prolonged fight for sovereignty, Eritrea, which has a extensive maritime frontage, officially seceded from Ethiopian rule in 1993, making it without sea access.

Subsequently, a military clash erupted in which over a hundred thousand people lost their lives.

Latest Comments from Ethiopia's Leadership

Abiy and army chief General Birhanu Jula have openly claimed control of Eritrean coastal city of Assab – approximately 60 kilometers from the boundary - and suggested the intention to capture it through military means.

Recently, the Prime Minister said the country's "error" of losing access to the Red Sea as a result of Eritrea secession would be "corrected tomorrow".

Ethiopia's ambassador to Kenya, former General Bacha Debele, said that the port was "Ethiopian property" and would be returned "by force".

Eritrean Reaction to the Threats

Despite ongoing threats from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's response has been confined to concise remarks on online platforms from Communications Head Yemane G..

Officials have denied Ethiopian requests for access to the Red Sea describing it as "risky" and a "negative policy" of "expansionism" – a strategy of retaking former lands.

The information ministry cautioned on recently that moves to legitimise "flagrant aggression" would have major implications for Ethiopia and its regional partners and is a "limit that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Military Movements on the Border

Currently, there are no reports of large-scale army activities in the border areas between the two countries.

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

The head of human resources department of the armed forces, General Hachalu, stated recently in an discussion that the army was in a "strong stance" as "many thousands of youths" were entering service, which he said was "a warning to our opponents".

Historical Roots of the Tension

For over fifty years from 1890, the territory was governed by Italian rulers.

After World War II, it was then controlled by the British military before evolving into a federated part of Ethiopia.

Yet in 1962 the ruler terminated this arrangement and the region became completely integrated into the Ethiopian state.

A extended civil war followed, finishing with Ethiopia's defeat in the early 1990s. Autonomy was then approved by voters in a referendum in 1993.

For a few years in the 1990s, there were positive ties between the authorities in Addis Ababa and Eritrea's capital, but they fell out over the precise positioning of their shared boundary, causing war in 1998.

Though this ended in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was partially applied, and the neighbors continued at in dispute.

This changed in 2018, when Abiy made gestures to Eritrea's leader the president. The two endorsed a statement that the war was finished – a move that won the Prime Minister the international recognition.

The neighboring states were then allies in Ethiopia's recent armed struggle in the northern region.

However ties have since broken down again.