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Growing concerns have emerged over the potential of warfare involving East African neighbors, the Ethiopian government and Eritrea, as hostile rhetoric has escalated in recent weeks.

What Did Ethiopian Officials Stated?

Landlocked Ethiopia's calls for entry to the sea coast through Eritrean territory has sparked a intense verbal exchange.

The Ethiopian leader previously announced in last year that his government's sea access was an crucial concern, comments that Eritrea rejected.

Relations between the both governments have regularly been difficult. Following a decades-long struggle for freedom, Eritrea, which has a extensive Red Sea coastline, legally broke away from Ethiopia in the early 1990s, making it without sea access.

In 1998, a military clash broke out in which over a hundred thousand people died.

Latest Statements from Ethiopian Government

Abiy and army chief the army commander have publicly asserted control of Eritrea's coastal city of the port of Assab – about 60km from the frontier - and suggested the wish to capture it through military means.

On 1 September, Abiy said Ethiopia's "mistake" of losing entry to the sea as a result of Eritrea secession would be "addressed soon".

Ethiopia's ambassador to Kenya, former General Bacha Debele, said that Assab was "Ethiopian property" and would be given back "using武力".

Eritrean Reaction to the Statements

Amid ongoing threats from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's reaction has been limited to concise remarks on online platforms from Information Minister the minister.

Officials have denied Ethiopia's demand for maritime entry calling it "hazardous" and a "negative policy" of "territorial claims" – a approach of retaking former lands.

The information ministry alerted on 16 September that attempts to justify "blatant hostility" would have serious consequences for the Ethiopian government and its neighbouring countries and is a "redline that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Military Activities on the Ground

Currently, there are few indications of significant troop deployments in the frontier regions between the neighboring states.

Nonetheless, in Ethiopia, state television has broadcast graduation ceremonies of numerous trainees at various military training camps.

The head of human resources department of the armed forces, the officer, stated recently in an interview that the military was in a "secure situation" as "many thousands of youths" were entering service, which he said was "a message to our adversaries".

Previous Background of the Conflict

For decades from the late 19th century, Eritrea was governed by Italian colonisers.

Following Italy's defeat, it was then managed by the British military before evolving into a federated part of the Ethiopian empire.

But in the early 1960s the ruler terminated this arrangement and Eritrea became completely integrated into Ethiopia.

A extended civil war occurred, ending with the government's loss in 1991. Sovereignty was then confirmed by voters in a vote in 1993.

For a few years in the 1990s, there were friendly connections between the authorities in Addis Ababa and Asmara, but they fell out over the specific demarcation of their common border, leading to war in 1998.

Although this concluded in a peace deal in 2000, it was partially applied, and the neighbors stayed at in dispute.

This changed in 2018, when Abiy made overtures to Eritrean President the president. The two signed a announcement that the war was finished – a decision that gained Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize.

The both administrations were then allies in the country's previous internal conflict in Tigray.

Yet relations have later worsened once more.