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Increasing worries have emerged over the possibility of warfare among Horn of Africa neighbours, the Ethiopian government and the Eritrean government, as aggressive discourse has intensified in recent weeks.

What Did Ethiopia Declared?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, demands for entry to the maritime outlet through Eritrean territory has sparked a heated war of words.

Ethiopian Prime Minister first openly declared in last year that his nation's maritime access was an vital issue, remarks that Eritrea ignored.

Ties between the both governments have often been tense. Following a prolonged struggle for freedom, the Eritrean state, which has a extensive sea border, legally broke away from Ethiopian rule in 1993, rendering it without sea access.

Subsequently, a territorial conflict started in which over a hundred thousand people died.

Latest Comments from Ethiopia's Leadership

Abiy and military leader the army commander have directly stated sovereignty of Eritrea's southern port of Assab – approximately 60 kilometers from the border - and hinted at the desire to seize it militarily.

In early September, the Prime Minister said the country's "mistake" of losing entry to the Red Sea as a because of Eritrean independence would be "addressed tomorrow".

The Ethiopian envoy to neighboring Kenya, retired Gen Bacha Debele, said that Assab was "Ethiopian property" and would be restored "through military action".

Eritrean Answer to the Threats

Despite persistent threats from Ethiopia, Eritrea's response has been restricted to short statements on social media from Communications Head Yemane G..

He has rejected Ethiopia's demand for maritime entry labeling it "risky" and a "harmful plan" of "irredentism" – a policy of retaking former lands.

Eritrean authorities alerted on recently that moves to justify "obvious provocation" would have serious consequences for the Ethiopian government and its regional partners and is a "redline that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Defense Movements on the Ground

Currently, there are no reports of large-scale army activities in the frontier regions between the both nations.

Nonetheless, in Ethiopia, national TV has shown training completions of thousands of cadets at different defense facilities.

The leader of personnel division of the armed forces, General Hachalu, stated recently in an discussion that the defense forces was in a "reliable position" as "many thousands of young people" were joining it, which he said was "a warning to our enemies".

Previous Background of the Dispute

For decades from 1890, the territory was administered by Italian rulers.

Following World War II, it was then administered by the British military before turning into a associated territory of Ethiopia.

But in 1962 the Ethiopian emperor terminated this agreement and Eritrea became completely integrated into the Ethiopian state.

A three-decade long civil war ensued, ending with the government's loss in 1991. Independence was then approved by voters in a vote in 1993.

Temporarily in the 1990s, there were good relations between the governments in Ethiopia's capital and Eritrea's capital, but they clashed over the exact location of their shared boundary, resulting in conflict in 1998.

Though this ended in a peace deal in 2000, it was incompletely executed, and the two nations continued at odds.

This ended in 2018, when the Prime Minister made approaches to Eritrean President President Isaias. The two signed a declaration that the war was finished – a decision that won the Prime Minister the international recognition.

The neighboring states were then partners in the country's previous civil war in the northern region.

But ties have later worsened once more.