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Growing concerns have emerged about the chance of military engagement between East African neighbours, the Ethiopian government and Eritrea, as aggressive rhetoric has escalated in the past few weeks.

What Has Ethiopia Said?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, calls for entry to the maritime outlet through Eritrean territory has sparked a intense verbal exchange.

Ethiopian Prime Minister first openly declared in the previous year that his nation's sea access was an vital issue, statements that Eritrea rejected.

Relations between the two countries have regularly been difficult. After a long-standing struggle for freedom, Eritrea, which has a long Red Sea coastline, legally broke away from Ethiopian rule in the early 1990s, making it cut off from the sea.

Subsequently, a military clash erupted in which over a hundred thousand people died.

Current Comments from Ethiopian Officials

Abiy and military leader General Birhanu Jula have openly claimed control of Eritrean southern port of the port of Assab – some 60 km from the boundary - and implied the wish to seize it militarily.

On 1 September, the Prime Minister said Ethiopia's "error" of losing access to the Red Sea as a due to Eritrea secession would be "addressed soon".

Ethiopia's ambassador to Kenya, ex-military officer Bacha, said that the port was "Ethiopia's wealth" and would be restored "using武力".

Eritrean Reaction to the Threats

In the face of continuous challenges from Ethiopia, Asmara's position has been limited to brief comments on social media from Communications Head Yemane G..

He has rejected Ethiopia's demand for maritime entry describing it as "hazardous" and a "negative policy" of "expansionism" – a strategy of claiming back lost territory.

Eritrean authorities warned on recently that efforts to justify "obvious provocation" would have serious consequences for Ethiopia and its neighbouring countries and is a "boundary that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Defense Activities on the Region

So far, there are little evidence of significant troop deployments in the boundary zones between the both nations.

Nonetheless, in the country, national TV has broadcast completion events of numerous trainees at different defense facilities.

The head of human resources department of the military, the officer, recently said in an interview that the military was in a "secure situation" as "tens of thousands of young people" were enlisting, which he said was "a signal to our opponents".

Past Background of the Tension

For over fifty years from the late 19th century, Eritrea was ruled by Italian colonisers.

After Italy's defeat, it was then administered by the British administration before becoming a federated part of Ethiopia.

But in 1962 the ruler ended this arrangement and Eritrea became completely integrated into the Ethiopian state.

A thirty-year armed struggle ensued, finishing with military reversal in 1991. Independence was then endorsed by the population in a plebiscite in 1993.

For a few years in the 1990s, there were friendly connections between the authorities in Ethiopia's capital and Asmara, but they disagreed over the exact location of their common border, resulting in war in 1998.

Even though this finished in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was incompletely executed, and the neighbors continued at odds.

This ended in 2018, when the Prime Minister made overtures to Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki. The two agreed to a announcement that the hostilities was finished – a action that gained the Prime Minister the international recognition.

The both administrations were then cooperators in the country's previous internal conflict in Tigray.

However diplomatic connections have subsequently deteriorated again.