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Increasing worries exist over the possibility of military engagement involving Horn of Africa neighbors, Ethiopia and Eritrea, as hostile discourse has ratcheted up in the last month.

What Has Ethiopian Officials Declared?

Landlocked Ethiopia's requests for access to the maritime outlet through Eritrea has sparked a intense war of words.

The Ethiopian leader previously announced in the previous year that his government's sea access was an crucial concern, statements that Eritrea ignored.

Diplomatic connections between the both governments have frequently been strained. Following a decades-long battle for independence, the Eritrean state, which has a long Red Sea coastline, officially seceded from Ethiopia in 1993, making it without sea access.

Five years later, a military clash erupted in which numerous people lost their lives.

Latest Statements from Ethiopian Officials

Abiy and army chief General Birhanu Jula have directly stated ownership of Eritrea's southern port of the port of Assab – about 60km from the frontier - and hinted at the intention to seize it militarily.

Recently, Abiy said Ethiopia's "blunder" of losing access to the sea as a due to Eritrea secession would be "addressed soon".

Ethiopia's ambassador to neighboring Kenya, retired Gen Bacha Debele, said that Assab was "Ethiopian property" and would be restored "by force".

Eritrean Response to the Statements

In the face of ongoing challenges from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's response has been confined to concise remarks on social media from Information Minister Yemane G..

Officials have denied Ethiopia's demand for maritime entry labeling it "risky" and a "negative policy" of "expansionism" – a policy of reclaiming former lands.

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

Security Movements on the Region

Currently, there are no reports of major military movements in the boundary zones between the neighboring states.

Nevertheless, in the country, national TV has shown graduation ceremonies of numerous trainees at various military training camps.

The director of staff section of the armed forces, Lt Gen Hachalu Sheleme, stated recently in an discussion that the military was in a "strong stance" as "numerous of recruits" were joining it, which he said was "a signal to our enemies".

Past Origins of the Conflict

For more than half a century from 1890, the territory was administered by Italian rulers.

Following Italy's defeat, it was then controlled by the British military before turning into a federated part of the Ethiopian empire.

However in 1962 the ruler cancelled this system and the region became totally absorbed into Ethiopia.

A extended internal conflict ensued, ending with military reversal in the early 1990s. Independence was then endorsed by voters in a vote in 1993.

Temporarily in the 1990s, there were positive ties between the authorities in Ethiopia's capital and Asmara, but they disagreed 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 incompletely executed, and the neighbors stayed at odds.

This changed in 2018, when Abiy made overtures to Eritrea's leader Isaias Afwerki. The both leaders agreed to a announcement that the hostilities was over – a action that won Abiy the prestigious award.

The both administrations were then cooperators in Ethiopia's recent internal conflict in Tigray.

But ties have later worsened once more.