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Increasing concerns have emerged about the possibility of military engagement among East African countries, Ethiopia and Eritrea, as confrontational language has intensified in the past few weeks.

What Has Ethiopian Officials Declared?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, demands for entry to the sea coast through Eritrea has triggered a fierce rhetorical conflict.

PM Abiy Ahmed first openly declared in last year that his nation's sea access was an vital issue, statements that Eritrean authorities ignored.

Ties between the neighboring nations have regularly been difficult. Following a prolonged struggle for freedom, the Eritrean state, which has a 1,350km (840-mile) Red Sea coastline, legally broke away from Ethiopia in 1993, rendering it cut off from the sea.

Subsequently, a territorial conflict started in which numerous people lost their lives.

Recent Comments from Ethiopia's Officials

Prime Minister Abiy and army chief General Birhanu Jula have directly stated sovereignty of Eritrean maritime facility of the port of Assab – approximately 60 kilometers from the boundary - and hinted at the wish to take it by force.

On 1 September, the Prime Minister said the country's "mistake" of being denied passage to the sea as a result of Eritrea secession would be "corrected in the future".

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

Eritrea's Response to the Threats

Amid ongoing warnings from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's response has been restricted to concise remarks on online platforms from Communications Head the minister.

The minister has dismissed Ethiopian requests for maritime entry describing it as "risky" and a "harmful plan" of "irredentism" – a approach of claiming back previous domains.

Government spokespeople cautioned on recently that moves to legitimise "blatant hostility" would have major implications for the Ethiopian government and its regional partners and is a "redline that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Security Movements on the Border

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

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

The leader of human resources department of the armed forces, Lt Gen Hachalu Sheleme, stated recently in an interview that the military was in a "secure situation" as "many thousands of recruits" were entering service, which he said was "a warning to our opponents".

Previous Background of the Dispute

For decades from 1890, the territory was ruled 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 the early 1960s the ruler ended this agreement and Eritrea became totally absorbed into Ethiopia.

A three-decade long internal conflict followed, ending with military reversal in the early 1990s. Sovereignty was then confirmed by the population in a referendum in 1993.

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

Even though this finished in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was partially applied, and the both countries continued at odds.

This situation improved in 2018, when the Prime Minister made overtures to Eritrean President President Isaias. The both leaders endorsed a statement that the hostilities was finished – a action that won Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize.

The neighboring states were then allies in Ethiopia's previous armed struggle in the northern region.

However relations have since broken down again.