π Share this article Escalating Rhetorical Battle Among Ethiopian Government and Eritrean Government Triggers Anxieties of Conflict Increasing concerns are present about the possibility of armed conflict among Horn of Africa neighbors, the Ethiopian government and the Eritrean government, as aggressive language has escalated in the last month. The Ethiopian government and The Eritrean government were allies in the internal conflict in northern Ethiopia but they have later become estranged. What Did Ethiopia Declared? Landlocked Ethiopia's demands for entry to the Red Sea through Eritrea has provoked a intense verbal exchange. Ethiopian Prime Minister initially stated publicly in 2023 that his country's sea access was an vital issue, comments that Eritrean authorities rejected. Ties between the two countries have frequently been strained. Following a long-standing fight for sovereignty, Eritrea, which has a 1,350km (840-mile) maritime frontage, formally separated from Ethiopian rule in 1993, leaving it cut off from the sea. Subsequently, a military clash erupted in which over a hundred thousand people died. Recent Statements from Ethiopian Government Abiy and army chief Field Marshal Birhanu Jula have openly claimed ownership of Eritrea's maritime facility of Assab β approximately 60 kilometers from the frontier - and suggested the intention to seize it militarily. In early September, the Prime Minister said Ethiopia's "error" of losing entry to the Red Sea as a because of Eritrea secession would be "rectified soon". Ethiopia's ambassador to neighboring Kenya, retired Gen Bacha Debele, said that Assab was "belonging to Ethiopia" and would be given back "usingζ¦ε". Eritrea's Response to the Claims Despite persistent warnings from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's reaction has been confined to short statements on social media from Communications Head Yemane Gebremeskel. The minister has dismissed Ethiopian requests for access to the Red Sea labeling it "hazardous" and a "negative policy" of "expansionism" β a strategy of claiming back former lands. The information ministry cautioned on mid-September that moves to validate "flagrant aggression" would have serious consequences for Ethiopia and its regional partners and is a "limit that should not be crossed|violated|breached". Security Movements on the Ground There have been little evidence of large-scale army activities in the boundary zones between the neighboring states. Nevertheless, in the country, national TV has displayed training completions of numerous trainees at multiple army bases. The director of staff section of the defense force, the officer, commented lately in an interview that the military was in a "secure situation" as "numerous of young people" were joining it, which he said was "a message to our enemies". Past Roots of the Dispute For over fifty years from the late 19th century, Eritrea was administered by colonial powers. Following the end of Italian rule, it was then administered by the UK forces before evolving into a federated part of Ethiopia. However in 1962 the ruler terminated this agreement and the region became totally absorbed into Ethiopia. A extended civil war followed, ending with the government's loss in 1991. Autonomy was then confirmed by voters in a vote in 1993. For a few years in the 1990s, there were good relations between the leadership in Ethiopia's capital and Eritrea's capital, but they disagreed over the precise positioning of their common border, leading to conflict in 1998. Although this finished in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was incompletely executed, and the both countries remained at odds. This situation improved in 2018, when the Prime Minister made approaches to Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki. The two signed a statement that the war was concluded β a move that earned Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize. The both administrations were then allies in Ethiopia's 2020-2022 civil war in the northern region. But relations have since broken down once more.