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Increasing concerns have emerged about the potential of military engagement among Horn of Africa countries, the Ethiopian government and the Eritrean government, as confrontational language has ratcheted up in recent weeks.

What Has Ethiopian Officials Declared?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, requests for entry to the sea coast through Eritrea has sparked a heated rhetorical conflict.

PM Abiy Ahmed first openly declared in 2023 that his nation's maritime access was an crucial concern, comments that Eritrea rejected.

Relations between the two countries have frequently been strained. After a prolonged struggle for freedom, Eritrea, which has a 1,350km (840-mile) Red Sea coastline, officially seceded from Ethiopian rule in the early 1990s, making it without sea access.

Five years later, a territorial conflict started in which numerous people were killed.

Latest Comments from Ethiopian Officials

Prime Minister Abiy and army chief the army commander have openly claimed control of Eritrean coastal city of the port of Assab – approximately 60 kilometers from the boundary - and implied the wish to take it by force.

In early September, Abiy said the country's "mistake" of being denied passage to the Red Sea as a because of Eritrea secession would be "rectified in the future".

The Ethiopian envoy to neighboring Kenya, former General Bacha Debele, said that Assab was "Ethiopia's wealth" and would be restored "by force".

Eritrea's Response to the Claims

Amid persistent threats from Ethiopia, Asmara's position has been limited to concise remarks on X from Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel.

Officials have denied Ethiopia's push for maritime entry labeling it "dangerous" and a "toxic agenda" of "irredentism" – a strategy of claiming back previous domains.

Government spokespeople warned on mid-September that efforts to legitimise "flagrant aggression" would have serious consequences for Ethiopia and its neighbors and is a "redline that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Defense Activities on the Border

So far, there are no reports of major military movements in the frontier regions between the neighboring states.

Nevertheless, in the country, state television has displayed training completions of many recruits at various military training camps.

The head of human resources department of the armed forces, Lt Gen Hachalu Sheleme, stated recently in an interview that the defense forces was in a "reliable position" as "many thousands of youths" were joining it, which he said was "a warning to our enemies".

Past Background of the Dispute

For more than half a century from the late 19th century, the territory was governed by Italian colonisers.

After Italy's defeat, it was then controlled by the UK forces before becoming a integrated region of Ethiopia.

However in the early 1960s the Ethiopian emperor cancelled this system and Eritrea became fully incorporated into Ethiopia.

A extended civil war followed, finishing with military reversal in the early 1990s. Autonomy was then confirmed by the population in a plebiscite in 1993.

Temporarily in the 1990s, there were positive ties between the authorities in Ethiopia's capital and Asmara, but they disagreed over the specific demarcation of their shared boundary, leading to conflict in 1998.

Though this ended in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was incompletely executed, and the two nations continued at loggerheads.

This ended in 2018, when the Prime Minister made approaches to Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki. The both leaders signed a statement that the conflict was concluded – a move that earned the Prime Minister the Nobel Peace Prize.

The both administrations were then partners in the country's previous civil war in the northern region.

But relations have later worsened again.