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Increasing apprehensions have emerged regarding the potential of warfare between Horn of Africa neighbours, Ethiopia and Eritrea, as aggressive discourse has escalated in recent weeks.

What Did Ethiopia Stated?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, demands for passage to the maritime outlet through Eritrean territory has triggered a heated war of words.

The Ethiopian leader previously announced in the previous year that his nation's sea access was an existential matter, remarks that Eritrea dismissed.

Ties between the both governments have frequently been strained. After a long-standing battle for independence, the Eritrean state, which has a 1,350km (840-mile) Red Sea coastline, officially seceded from Ethiopia in 1993, making it without sea access.

Five years later, a military clash broke out in which numerous people were killed.

Current Remarks from Ethiopian Government

Abiy and army chief the army commander have openly claimed control of Eritrea's maritime facility of Assab – some 60 km from the boundary - and implied the desire to capture it through military means.

On 1 September, Abiy said Ethiopia's "error" of being denied passage to the sea as a because of Eritrean independence would be "rectified soon".

Ethiopia's ambassador to neighboring Kenya, former General Bacha Debele, said that the port was "Ethiopian property" and would be returned "through military action".

Eritrea's Reaction to the Threats

In the face of persistent threats from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's response has been confined to short statements on online platforms from Information Minister the minister.

He has rejected Ethiopia's push for access to the Red Sea labeling it "dangerous" and a "harmful plan" of "expansionism" – a policy of claiming back lost territory.

Eritrean authorities cautioned on 16 September that moves to legitimise "flagrant aggression" would have major implications for the Ethiopian government and its neighbors and is a "redline that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Defense Movements on the Region

So far, there are few indications of significant troop deployments in the border areas between the neighboring states.

Nevertheless, in the country, government media has shown training completions of numerous trainees at different defense facilities.

The head of personnel division of the armed forces, General Hachalu, stated recently in an conversation that the defense forces was in a "reliable position" as "tens of thousands of young people" were joining it, which he said was "a signal to our enemies".

Historical Origins of the Dispute

For over fifty years from 1890, the territory was governed by Italian rulers.

After Italy's defeat, it was then administered by the British administration before turning into a federated part of the Ethiopian empire.

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

A extended armed struggle ensued, ending with Ethiopia's defeat in 1991. Sovereignty was then approved by Eritreans in a plebiscite in 1993.

Temporarily in the 1990s, there were friendly connections between the governments in Ethiopia's capital and Asmara, but they clashed over the precise positioning of their shared boundary, resulting in hostilities in 1998.

Though this ended in a peace deal in 2000, it was never fully implemented, and the neighbors stayed at in dispute.

This changed in 2018, when Abiy made approaches to Eritrea's leader the president. The two endorsed a statement that the hostilities was over – a decision that won the Prime Minister the international recognition.

The neighboring states were then partners in the country's previous civil war in Tigray.

However relations have later worsened anew.