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Mounting concerns have emerged regarding the chance of armed conflict among Horn of Africa countries, the Ethiopian government and Eritrea, as aggressive rhetoric has intensified in recent weeks.

What Did Ethiopia Said?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, calls for passage to the sea coast through Eritrean territory has sparked a intense war of words.

The Ethiopian leader initially stated publicly in last year that his nation's sea access was an vital issue, remarks that Eritrean authorities rejected.

Relations between the neighboring nations have frequently been strained. Following a long-standing struggle for freedom, the Eritrean state, which has a 1,350km (840-mile) maritime frontage, officially seceded from Ethiopia in the early 1990s, making it without sea access.

In 1998, a territorial conflict erupted in which over a hundred thousand people lost their lives.

Current Statements from Ethiopia's Leadership

Abiy and army chief the army commander have openly claimed sovereignty of Eritrean southern port of Assab – about 60km from the boundary - and implied the intention to take it by force.

Recently, Abiy said the country's "mistake" of losing entry to the Red Sea as a due to Eritrea's separation would be "corrected tomorrow".

The Ethiopian envoy to neighboring Kenya, retired Gen Bacha Debele, said that Assab was "Ethiopian property" and would be given back "using武力".

Eritrean Answer to the Claims

Despite continuous challenges from Ethiopia, Eritrea's reaction has been restricted to concise remarks on social media from Information Minister the minister.

The minister has dismissed Ethiopian requests for sea access calling it "hazardous" and a "negative policy" of "territorial claims" – a policy of reclaiming former lands.

Government spokespeople alerted on 16 September that efforts to legitimise "flagrant aggression" would have significant repercussions for Ethiopia and its regional partners and is a "redline that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Security Movements on the Region

So far, there are few indications of major military movements in the boundary zones between the both nations.

However, in Ethiopia, state television has displayed completion events of many recruits at different defense facilities.

The head of staff section of the military, the officer, stated recently in an conversation that the military was in a "reliable position" as "tens of thousands of recruits" were enlisting, which he said was "a signal to our adversaries".

Past Background of the Conflict

For over fifty years from the late 19th century, the territory was administered by Italian rulers.

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

However in 1962 the Ethiopian emperor terminated this system and the region became fully incorporated into the Ethiopian state.

A three-decade long internal conflict occurred, concluding with the government's loss in the early 1990s. Autonomy was then confirmed by voters in a plebiscite in 1993.

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

Even though this ended in a truce in 2000, it was partially applied, and the neighbors remained at in dispute.

This changed in 2018, when Abiy made overtures to Eritrea's leader the president. The both leaders agreed to a announcement that the war was finished – a move that gained Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize.

The neighboring states were then cooperators in the country's previous internal conflict in Tigray.

However ties have subsequently deteriorated once more.