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Increasing apprehensions are present over the possibility of armed conflict between East African neighbors, the Ethiopian government and the Eritrean government, as aggressive discourse has intensified in the past few weeks.

What Did Ethiopian Officials Stated?

Landlocked Ethiopia's calls for passage to the Red Sea through Eritrea has sparked a fierce verbal exchange.

Ethiopian Prime Minister first openly declared in last year that his country's access to the sea was an existential matter, comments that Eritrean authorities rejected.

Relations between the two countries have regularly been difficult. After a prolonged struggle for freedom, Eritrea, which has a extensive sea border, formally separated from Ethiopia in the early 1990s, leaving it without sea access.

Subsequently, a territorial conflict broke out in which more than 100,000 people lost their lives.

Recent Statements from Ethiopia's Officials

Prime Minister Abiy and military leader the army commander have publicly asserted ownership of Eritrea's southern port of Assab – some 60 km from the frontier - and hinted at the wish to capture it through military means.

Recently, the Prime Minister said Ethiopia's "blunder" of being denied passage to the Red Sea as a result of Eritrean independence would be "corrected soon".

The Ethiopian envoy to Kenya, retired Gen Bacha Debele, said that the port was "belonging to Ethiopia" and would be returned "through military action".

Eritrea's Response to the Statements

Despite persistent warnings from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's response has been limited to short statements on social media from Information Minister Yemane G..

He has rejected Ethiopia's demand for maritime entry describing it as "hazardous" and a "negative policy" of "irredentism" – a approach of claiming back previous domains.

The information ministry alerted on recently that moves to legitimise "blatant hostility" would have significant repercussions for Ethiopia and its neighbouring countries and is a "boundary that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Defense Preparations on the Border

There have been little evidence of major military movements in the border areas between the both nations.

Nonetheless, in the country, government media has broadcast completion events of thousands of cadets at different defense facilities.

The head of staff section of the defense force, Lt Gen Hachalu Sheleme, commented lately in an discussion that the defense forces was in a "secure situation" as "numerous of youths" were joining it, which he said was "a warning to our enemies".

Historical Origins of the Dispute

For more than half a century from 1890, the territory was ruled by Italian colonisers.

After World War II, it was then managed by the UK forces before turning into a integrated region of Ethiopia.

Yet in 1962 the Ethiopian emperor cancelled this agreement and Eritrea became fully incorporated into Ethiopia.

A extended armed struggle ensued, ending with the government's loss in 1991. Autonomy was then confirmed by voters in a referendum in 1993.

Briefly in the 1990s, there were friendly connections between the leadership in Addis Ababa and Asmara, but they fell out over the specific demarcation of their shared boundary, causing war in 1998.

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

This changed in 2018, when Abiy made overtures to Eritrean President the president. The both leaders signed a statement that the hostilities was concluded – a move that earned Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize.

The two governments were then allies in Ethiopia's previous internal conflict in the northern region.

Yet diplomatic connections have subsequently deteriorated again.