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Mounting worries exist regarding the potential of armed conflict between East African neighbors, Ethiopia and Eritrea, as confrontational rhetoric has ratcheted up in the past few weeks.

What Has Ethiopia Declared?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, demands for entry to the Red Sea through Eritrean territory has triggered a intense war of words.

The Ethiopian leader first openly declared in the previous year that his nation's maritime access was an crucial concern, remarks that Eritrea ignored.

Ties between the both governments have frequently been strained. Following a long-standing battle for independence, the Eritrean state, which has a 1,350km (840-mile) sea border, officially seceded from Ethiopian rule in 1993, leaving it cut off from the sea.

Five years later, a military clash broke out in which more than 100,000 people died.

Latest Remarks from Ethiopian Government

Prime Minister Abiy and military leader the army commander have openly claimed sovereignty of Eritrea's maritime facility of the port of Assab – some 60 km from the border - and suggested the wish to take it by force.

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

The Ethiopian envoy to neighboring Kenya, former General Bacha Debele, said that the port was "Ethiopian property" and would be restored "through military action".

Eritrea's Response to the Claims

In the face of persistent warnings from Ethiopia, Eritrea's reaction has been limited to short statements on social media from Communications Head the minister.

The minister has dismissed Ethiopia's push for maritime entry calling it "risky" and a "toxic agenda" of "territorial claims" – a approach of reclaiming former lands.

The information ministry warned on recently that efforts to legitimise "obvious provocation" would have significant repercussions for the Ethiopian government and its neighbouring countries and is a "redline that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Military Activities on the Border

There have been no reports of significant troop deployments in the border areas between the neighboring states.

Nevertheless, in the country, national TV has shown training completions of numerous trainees at multiple army bases.

The head of staff section of the armed forces, the officer, commented lately in an interview that the army was in a "strong stance" as "many thousands of youths" were entering service, which he said was "a message to our opponents".

Historical Roots of the Tension

For more than half a century from 1890, Eritrea was ruled by colonial powers.

Following the end of Italian rule, it was then controlled by the British military before turning into a federated part of Ethiopia.

However in 1962 the Ethiopian emperor ended this system and the region became completely integrated into the Ethiopian state.

A extended armed struggle ensued, concluding with the government's loss in the early 1990s. Sovereignty was then endorsed by Eritreans in a vote in 1993.

Briefly in the 1990s, there were friendly connections between the governments in Addis Ababa and Asmara, but they clashed over the specific demarcation of their shared boundary, leading to war in 1998.

Though this finished in a peace deal in 2000, it was incompletely executed, and the neighbors continued at odds.

This ended in 2018, when Abiy made overtures to Eritrean President President Isaias. The both leaders endorsed a announcement that the conflict was concluded – a action that gained Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize.

The two governments were then partners in the country's 2020-2022 internal conflict in Tigray.

But diplomatic connections have later worsened again.