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Increasing concerns exist over the potential of warfare between East African neighbours, Ethiopia and Eritrea, as confrontational language has intensified in recent weeks.

What Has Ethiopian Officials Said?

Landlocked Ethiopia's requests for passage to the maritime outlet through Eritrea has triggered a fierce verbal exchange.

Ethiopian Prime Minister previously announced in 2023 that his country's sea access was an crucial concern, statements that Eritrea rejected.

Ties between the two countries have regularly been difficult. Following a prolonged battle for independence, the Eritrean state, which has a 1,350km (840-mile) maritime frontage, officially seceded from Ethiopia in 1993, leaving it landlocked.

In 1998, a military clash broke out in which over a hundred thousand people lost their lives.

Current Statements from Ethiopian Officials

Prime Minister Abiy and military leader the army commander have directly stated sovereignty of Eritrea's coastal city of Assab – approximately 60 kilometers from the border - and hinted at the desire 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 because of Eritrea secession would be "rectified tomorrow".

The Ethiopian envoy to neighboring Kenya, ex-military officer Bacha, said that Assab was "belonging to Ethiopia" and would be given back "by force".

Eritrean Answer to the Claims

Amid continuous threats from Ethiopia, Asmara's position has been confined to brief comments on online platforms from Communications Head Yemane Gebremeskel.

Officials have denied Ethiopian requests for maritime entry describing it as "dangerous" and a "toxic agenda" of "irredentism" – a strategy of claiming back previous domains.

Government spokespeople alerted on recently that moves to validate "obvious provocation" would have serious consequences for the Ethiopian government and its regional partners and is a "boundary that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Military Activities on the Ground

There have been no reports of major military movements in the border areas between the both nations.

However, in Ethiopia, government media has shown graduation ceremonies of thousands of cadets at multiple army bases.

The director of human resources department of the armed forces, Lt Gen Hachalu Sheleme, stated recently in an conversation that the army was in a "reliable position" as "tens of thousands of young people" were joining it, which he said was "a warning to our adversaries".

Historical Background of the Dispute

For decades from the late 19th century, Eritrea was ruled by Italian rulers.

Following the end of Italian rule, it was then administered by the UK forces before turning into a integrated region of the Ethiopian empire.

However in the early 1960s the Ethiopian emperor cancelled this arrangement and the region became fully incorporated into the Ethiopian state.

A thirty-year civil war followed, concluding with military reversal in 1991. Independence was then endorsed by the population in a plebiscite in 1993.

Temporarily in the 1990s, there were positive ties between the governments in Addis Ababa and Asmara, but they disagreed over the specific demarcation of their common border, causing war in 1998.

Although this finished in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was incompletely executed, and the both countries stayed at loggerheads.

This situation improved in 2018, when Abiy made gestures to Eritrea's leader Isaias Afwerki. The both leaders agreed to a declaration that the war was concluded – a move that earned Abiy the prestigious award.

The two governments were then partners in the country's 2020-2022 civil war in the northern region.

However diplomatic connections have subsequently deteriorated once more.