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Mounting concerns exist over the chance of warfare between East African countries, the Ethiopian government and the Eritrean government, as hostile language has intensified in the past few weeks.

What Has Ethiopia Stated?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, requests for entry to the Red Sea through Eritrea has sparked a fierce war of words.

The Ethiopian leader initially stated publicly in last year that his government's sea access was an vital issue, statements that Eritrean authorities dismissed.

Ties between the two countries have frequently been strained. Following a prolonged fight for sovereignty, the Eritrean state, which has a extensive maritime frontage, formally separated from Ethiopian rule in the early 1990s, making it cut off from the sea.

Five years later, a military clash erupted in which numerous people died.

Latest Remarks from Ethiopia's Officials

Prime Minister Abiy and army chief General Birhanu Jula have publicly asserted sovereignty of Eritrea's maritime facility of the port of Assab – some 60 km from the border - and suggested the wish to capture it through military means.

Recently, the Prime Minister said the country's "mistake" of losing access to the Red Sea as a because of Eritrean independence would be "rectified in the future".

The Ethiopian envoy to Kenya, former General Bacha Debele, said that Assab was "belonging to Ethiopia" and would be returned "through military action".

Eritrea's Answer to the Claims

Despite persistent warnings from Ethiopian officials, Asmara's position has been limited to short statements on social media from Communications Head Yemane Gebremeskel.

Officials have denied Ethiopia's push for sea access calling it "dangerous" and a "toxic agenda" of "expansionism" – a strategy of claiming back previous domains.

The information ministry cautioned on 16 September that attempts to justify "obvious provocation" would have significant repercussions for Ethiopia and its regional partners and is a "redline that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Military Activities on the Ground

So far, there are little evidence of major military movements in the frontier regions between the neighboring states.

Nonetheless, in Ethiopia, national TV has shown graduation ceremonies of numerous trainees at various military training camps.

The director of staff section of the defense force, the officer, commented lately in an discussion that the army was in a "strong stance" as "tens of thousands of recruits" were enlisting, which he said was "a message to our enemies".

Historical Background of the Dispute

For more than half a century from 1890, Eritrea was administered by Italian colonisers.

After World War II, it was then managed by the British military before evolving into a integrated region of Ethiopia.

However in the early 1960s Emperor Haile Selassie I ended this system and the region became totally absorbed into Ethiopia.

A extended civil war followed, concluding with military reversal in 1991. Autonomy was then confirmed by the population in a plebiscite in 1993.

Temporarily in the 1990s, there were good relations between the leadership in Addis Ababa and Asmara, but they clashed over the exact location of their mutual frontier, resulting in war in 1998.

Even though this finished in a peace deal in 2000, it was never fully implemented, and the neighbors stayed at loggerheads.

This situation improved in 2018, when the Prime Minister made overtures to Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki. The both leaders signed a statement that the war was over – a move that won the Prime Minister the prestigious award.

The both administrations were then cooperators in Ethiopia's recent civil war in the northern region.

But relations have since broken down once more.