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Growing apprehensions exist regarding the chance of armed conflict involving East African neighbors, the Ethiopian government and Eritrea, as hostile rhetoric has escalated in the past few weeks.

What Did Ethiopian Officials Said?

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

Ethiopian Prime Minister first openly declared in last year that his country's access to the sea was an existential matter, remarks that Eritrean authorities ignored.

Diplomatic connections between the neighboring nations have often been tense. Following a long-standing fight for sovereignty, Eritrea, which has a extensive Red Sea coastline, legally broke away from Ethiopia in 1993, leaving it landlocked.

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

Recent Remarks from Ethiopia's Officials

Abiy and army chief General Birhanu Jula have directly stated control of Eritrean coastal city of the port of Assab – approximately 60 kilometers from the border - and hinted at the wish to seize it militarily.

In early September, Abiy said Ethiopia's "error" of losing entry to the sea as a due to Eritrea's separation would be "rectified tomorrow".

Ethiopia's ambassador to neighboring Kenya, ex-military officer Bacha, said that the port was "belonging to Ethiopia" and would be given back "using武力".

Eritrea's Reaction to the Threats

Amid continuous threats from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's reaction has been restricted to concise remarks on online platforms from Communications Head the minister.

He has rejected Ethiopian requests for access to the Red Sea describing it as "risky" and a "harmful plan" of "expansionism" – a strategy of reclaiming previous domains.

Eritrean authorities alerted on recently that efforts to justify "blatant hostility" would have significant repercussions for the Ethiopian government and its regional partners and is a "limit that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Security Activities on the Border

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

Nonetheless, in Ethiopia, national TV has broadcast completion events of thousands of cadets at multiple army bases.

The director of human resources department of the defense force, the officer, commented lately in an conversation that the army was in a "strong stance" as "tens of thousands of recruits" were enlisting, which he said was "a warning to our opponents".

Historical Background of the Dispute

For decades from the late 19th century, Eritrea was administered by colonial powers.

Following Italy's defeat, it was then controlled by the British military before evolving into a integrated region of the Ethiopian empire.

But in 1962 the Ethiopian emperor terminated this arrangement and Eritrea became totally absorbed into Ethiopia.

A thirty-year internal conflict ensued, finishing with military reversal in the early 1990s. Independence was then confirmed by Eritreans in a vote in 1993.

Briefly in the 1990s, there were positive ties between the leadership in Addis Ababa and Eritrea's capital, but they disagreed over the precise positioning of their common border, resulting in conflict in 1998.

Although this concluded in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was never fully implemented, and the neighbors stayed at loggerheads.

This ended in 2018, when Abiy made gestures to Eritrean President President Isaias. The two endorsed a statement that the hostilities was over – a move that earned Abiy the prestigious award.

The neighboring states were then allies in Ethiopia's previous internal conflict in the northern region.

However relations have subsequently deteriorated again.