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Mounting worries exist regarding the possibility of military engagement involving East African neighbours, Ethiopia and the Eritrean government, as hostile discourse has ratcheted up in recent weeks.

What Did Ethiopia Declared?

Landlocked Ethiopia's requests for passage to the Red Sea through Eritrean territory has sparked a intense verbal exchange.

PM Abiy Ahmed previously announced in the previous year that his nation's access to the sea was an crucial concern, remarks that Eritrea ignored.

Diplomatic connections between the both governments have often been tense. After a decades-long battle for independence, the Eritrean state, which has a 1,350km (840-mile) sea border, formally separated from Ethiopian rule in 1993, making it landlocked.

Subsequently, a territorial conflict erupted in which over a hundred thousand people lost their lives.

Current Comments from Ethiopian Government

Prime Minister Abiy and army chief General Birhanu Jula have openly claimed sovereignty of Eritrean maritime facility of Assab – some 60 km from the boundary - and suggested the wish to take it by force.

In early September, Abiy said Ethiopia's "error" of being denied passage to the sea as a because of Eritrea's separation would be "rectified soon".

The Ethiopian envoy to neighboring Kenya, ex-military officer Bacha, said that the port was "belonging to Ethiopia" and would be given back "using武力".

Eritrea's Response to the Statements

Amid continuous threats from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's response has been limited to concise remarks on online platforms from Information Minister Yemane G..

The minister has dismissed Ethiopia's push for sea access calling it "risky" and a "toxic agenda" of "territorial claims" – a policy of retaking previous domains.

Government spokespeople warned on recently that efforts to justify "obvious provocation" would have serious consequences 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 large-scale army activities in the boundary zones between the neighboring states.

Nevertheless, in the country, government media has broadcast completion events of numerous trainees at various military training camps.

The head of human resources department of the defense force, General Hachalu, commented lately in an interview that the defense forces was in a "secure situation" as "tens of thousands of recruits" were enlisting, which he said was "a message to our adversaries".

Previous Background of the Conflict

For decades from 1890, the territory was governed by Italian rulers.

After World War II, it was then controlled by the UK forces before evolving into a associated territory of the Ethiopian empire.

Yet in the early 1960s the ruler ended this system and the region became completely integrated into the Ethiopian state.

A three-decade long civil war followed, concluding with the government's loss in 1991. Sovereignty was then approved by the population in a plebiscite in 1993.

Briefly in the 1990s, there were good relations between the governments in Ethiopia's capital and Asmara, but they clashed over the precise positioning of their shared boundary, leading to conflict in 1998.

Though this ended in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was partially applied, and the both countries stayed at loggerheads.

This ended in 2018, when Abiy made approaches to Eritrea's leader Isaias Afwerki. The two agreed to a announcement that the war was over – a decision that won Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize.

The neighboring states were then partners in Ethiopia's recent armed struggle in the northern region.

But relations have subsequently deteriorated again.