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Growing concerns have emerged over the possibility of warfare involving East African countries, Ethiopia and the Eritrean government, as hostile language has escalated in the past few weeks.

What Did Ethiopia Said?

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

PM Abiy Ahmed previously announced in the previous year that his nation's maritime access was an existential matter, remarks that Eritrean authorities rejected.

Ties between the both governments have often been tense. After a prolonged fight for sovereignty, the Eritrean state, which has a 1,350km (840-mile) Red Sea coastline, legally broke away from Ethiopian rule in the early 1990s, making it landlocked.

Subsequently, a military clash erupted in which numerous people were killed.

Latest Statements from Ethiopia's Officials

Prime Minister Abiy and army chief General Birhanu Jula have publicly asserted sovereignty of Eritrean southern port of Assab – some 60 km from the frontier - and implied the wish to capture it through military means.

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

The Ethiopian envoy to Kenya, retired Gen Bacha Debele, said that Assab was "Ethiopian property" and would be returned "by force".

Eritrean Response to the Statements

Despite continuous threats from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's reaction has been limited to short statements on online platforms from Communications Head Yemane Gebremeskel.

The minister has dismissed Ethiopian requests for sea access describing it as "dangerous" and a "negative policy" of "expansionism" – a policy of retaking lost territory.

Eritrean authorities warned on 16 September that moves to validate "blatant hostility" would have serious consequences for the Ethiopian government and its neighbors and is a "redline that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Defense Movements on the Ground

There have been no reports of large-scale army activities in the border areas between the both nations.

Nevertheless, in Ethiopia, national TV has shown graduation ceremonies of thousands of cadets at different defense facilities.

The head of human resources department of the military, the officer, commented lately in an interview that the army was in a "reliable position" as "numerous of youths" were enlisting, which he said was "a message to our enemies".

Historical Background of the Conflict

For decades from the late 19th century, the territory was governed by Italian colonisers.

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

However in 1962 the ruler terminated this arrangement and Eritrea became totally absorbed into the Ethiopian state.

A three-decade long armed struggle ensued, ending with the government's loss in 1991. Sovereignty was then confirmed by the population in a plebiscite in 1993.

Briefly in the 1990s, there were good relations between the governments in Addis Ababa and Asmara, but they clashed over the exact location of their shared boundary, resulting in conflict in 1998.

Although this ended in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was incompletely executed, and the both countries remained at odds.

This ended in 2018, when Abiy made overtures to Eritrea's leader Isaias Afwerki. The both leaders endorsed a declaration that the hostilities was concluded – a action that earned the Prime Minister the prestigious award.

The two governments were then partners in Ethiopia's previous internal conflict in Tigray.

Yet diplomatic connections have subsequently deteriorated once more.