🔗 Share this article Rising Rhetorical Battle Between Ethiopian Government and Eritrean Government Raises Anxieties of Conflict Growing concerns have emerged over the chance of military engagement between Horn of Africa neighbours, Ethiopia and Eritrea, as hostile language has escalated in the last month. Ethiopia and Eritrea were allies in the armed struggle in Tigray but they have subsequently disagreed. What Has Ethiopian Officials Stated? Landlocked Ethiopia's calls for access to the sea coast through Eritrean territory has triggered a fierce verbal exchange. The Ethiopian leader initially stated publicly in 2023 that his country's access to the sea was an crucial concern, statements that Eritrea ignored. Diplomatic connections between the two countries have frequently been strained. Following a long-standing fight for sovereignty, Eritrea, which has a extensive Red Sea coastline, officially seceded from Ethiopia in 1993, rendering it without sea access. Five years later, a territorial conflict erupted in which over a hundred thousand people died. Latest Comments from Ethiopia's Government Prime Minister Abiy and army chief the army commander have openly claimed control of Eritrean southern port of the port of Assab – about 60km from the border - and suggested the intention to take it by force. Recently, Abiy said Ethiopia's "mistake" of losing access to the sea as a due to Eritrea's separation would be "rectified in the future". The Ethiopian envoy to Kenya, ex-military officer Bacha, said that the port was "Ethiopia's wealth" and would be restored "usingæ¦åŠ›". Eritrean Answer to the Statements In the face of continuous threats from Ethiopia, Eritrea's reaction has been limited to concise remarks on online platforms from Information Minister the minister. He has rejected Ethiopia's demand for maritime entry describing it as "dangerous" and a "harmful plan" of "territorial claims" – a policy of reclaiming previous domains. Government spokespeople alerted on recently that attempts to legitimise "flagrant aggression" would have significant repercussions for Ethiopia and its regional partners and is a "redline that should not be crossed|violated|breached". Security Movements on the Border So far, there are no reports of significant troop deployments in the boundary zones between the neighboring states. However, in Ethiopia, national TV has displayed training completions of many recruits at multiple army bases. The leader of staff section of the armed forces, the officer, recently said in an interview that the defense forces was in a "strong stance" as "many thousands of young people" were joining it, which he said was "a message to our enemies". Past Roots of the Dispute For more than half a century from 1890, the territory was ruled by Italian rulers. After Italy's defeat, it was then controlled by the UK forces before evolving into a federated part of the Ethiopian empire. But in 1962 the ruler ended this arrangement and the region became totally absorbed into the Ethiopian state. A three-decade long armed struggle occurred, concluding with Ethiopia's defeat in 1991. Independence was then approved by the population in a vote in 1993. Temporarily in the 1990s, there were good relations between the governments in Ethiopia's capital and Eritrea's capital, but they clashed over the specific demarcation of their common border, resulting in conflict in 1998. Though this ended in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was never fully implemented, and the neighbors remained at loggerheads. This situation improved in 2018, when Abiy made gestures to Eritrea's leader the president. The both leaders endorsed a announcement that the hostilities was finished – a decision that won the Prime Minister the prestigious award. The neighboring states were then partners in the country's recent armed struggle in Tigray. Yet relations have subsequently deteriorated once more.