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Increasing concerns have emerged over the chance of warfare among Horn of Africa countries, Ethiopia and Eritrea, as hostile language has intensified in recent weeks.

What Has Ethiopia Declared?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, calls for passage to the sea coast through Eritrean territory has triggered a fierce rhetorical conflict.

Ethiopian Prime Minister first openly declared in last year that his government's sea access was an existential matter, remarks that Eritrea dismissed.

Relations between the both governments have often been tense. Following a long-standing battle for independence, Eritrea, which has a extensive Red Sea coastline, officially seceded from Ethiopia in the early 1990s, making it without sea access.

Five years later, a territorial conflict broke out in which over a hundred thousand people died.

Latest Comments from Ethiopia's Government

Abiy and military leader Field Marshal Birhanu Jula have openly claimed ownership of Eritrean maritime facility of the port of Assab – about 60km from the frontier - and implied the wish to take it by force.

On 1 September, the Prime Minister said the country's "error" of losing entry to the Red Sea as a due to Eritrea's separation would be "corrected tomorrow".

Ethiopia's ambassador to Kenya, ex-military officer Bacha, said that Assab was "Ethiopia's wealth" and would be given back "by force".

Eritrean Reaction to the Statements

Amid persistent warnings from Ethiopia, Asmara's position has been restricted to brief comments on social media from Communications Head Yemane Gebremeskel.

The minister has dismissed Ethiopia's demand for access to the Red Sea calling it "hazardous" and a "harmful plan" of "expansionism" – a policy of claiming back lost territory.

Government spokespeople alerted on mid-September that efforts to legitimise "flagrant aggression" would have significant repercussions for Ethiopia and its neighbors and is a "limit that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Military Preparations on the Border

So far, there are no reports of significant troop deployments in the border areas between the neighboring states.

However, in Ethiopia, state television has shown graduation ceremonies of many recruits at various military training camps.

The leader of human resources department of the defense force, Lt Gen Hachalu Sheleme, commented lately in an discussion that the army was in a "reliable position" as "numerous of young people" were joining it, which he said was "a warning to our enemies".

Historical Origins of the Conflict

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

After Italy's defeat, it was then administered by the British military before turning into a federated part of Ethiopia.

However in 1962 the Ethiopian emperor terminated this arrangement and the region became fully incorporated into the Ethiopian state.

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

For a few years in the 1990s, there were good relations between the authorities in Ethiopia's capital and Asmara, but they disagreed over the precise positioning of their common border, causing conflict in 1998.

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

This changed in 2018, when Abiy made overtures to Eritrean President the president. The both leaders agreed to a statement that the hostilities was over – a decision that won the Prime Minister the prestigious award.

The neighboring states were then partners in the country's 2020-2022 internal conflict in the northern region.

However relations have subsequently deteriorated anew.