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Mounting worries have emerged about the potential of armed conflict among East African countries, the Ethiopian government and Eritrea, as aggressive language has intensified in recent weeks.

What Has Ethiopia Stated?

Landlocked Ethiopia's calls for entry to the Red Sea through Eritrea has triggered a intense war of words.

The Ethiopian leader first openly declared in the previous year that his nation's sea access was an existential matter, statements that Eritrean authorities rejected.

Diplomatic connections between the neighboring nations have often been tense. After a prolonged battle for independence, the Eritrean state, which has a extensive maritime frontage, officially seceded from Ethiopia in the early 1990s, leaving it landlocked.

Five years later, a territorial conflict broke out in which numerous people died.

Current Remarks from Ethiopian Government

Prime Minister Abiy and military leader General Birhanu Jula have directly stated sovereignty of Eritrea's maritime facility of Assab – about 60km from the border - and hinted at the intention to capture it through military means.

On 1 September, Abiy said Ethiopia's "mistake" of losing entry to the Red Sea as a because of Eritrea's separation would be "corrected in the future".

Ethiopia's ambassador to Kenya, retired Gen Bacha Debele, said that the port was "Ethiopia's wealth" and would be returned "using武力".

Eritrean Reaction to the Claims

In the face of persistent warnings from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's response has been restricted to brief comments on social media from Communications Head the minister.

Officials have denied Ethiopia's push for maritime entry calling it "dangerous" and a "negative policy" of "expansionism" – a strategy of retaking previous domains.

Eritrean authorities warned on 16 September that moves to legitimise "flagrant aggression" would have significant repercussions for Ethiopia and its neighbouring countries and is a "redline that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Defense Preparations on the Border

Currently, there are no reports of large-scale army activities in the boundary zones between the neighboring states.

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

The director of personnel division of the armed forces, Lt Gen Hachalu Sheleme, stated recently in an discussion that the army was in a "reliable position" as "numerous of youths" were entering service, which he said was "a message to our enemies".

Previous Origins of the Dispute

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

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

Yet in 1962 the Ethiopian emperor cancelled this system and Eritrea became completely integrated into the Ethiopian state.

A extended armed struggle ensued, concluding with military reversal in the early 1990s. Sovereignty was then endorsed by voters in a plebiscite in 1993.

For a few years in the 1990s, there were positive ties between the leadership in Ethiopia's capital and Asmara, but they clashed over the specific demarcation of their shared boundary, resulting in hostilities in 1998.

Even though this ended in a peace deal in 2000, it was never fully implemented, and the both countries continued at odds.

This changed in 2018, when Abiy made overtures to Eritrea's leader the president. The two agreed to a announcement that the conflict was over – a action that won the Prime Minister the international recognition.

The neighboring states were then allies in the country's previous armed struggle in Tigray.

However ties have subsequently deteriorated again.