Intensifying War of Words Among Ethiopian Government and Eritrean Government Triggers Concerns of Armed Clash

Growing apprehensions are present about the possibility of warfare between East African neighbours, the Ethiopian government and Eritrea, as aggressive discourse has escalated in the past few weeks.

What Did Ethiopian Officials Declared?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, calls for access to the Red Sea through Eritrean territory has provoked a fierce verbal exchange.

Ethiopian Prime Minister previously announced in the previous year that his nation's maritime access was an crucial concern, statements that Eritrea dismissed.

Relations between the neighboring nations have often been tense. After a prolonged fight for sovereignty, the Eritrean state, which has a extensive Red Sea coastline, officially seceded from Ethiopian rule in 1993, rendering it without sea access.

Subsequently, a military clash started in which over a hundred thousand people were killed.

Latest Statements from Ethiopian Leadership

Abiy and military leader General Birhanu Jula have publicly asserted control of Eritrea's maritime facility of Assab – approximately 60 kilometers from the boundary - and suggested the desire to seize it militarily.

In early September, the Prime Minister said the country's "error" of being denied passage to the Red Sea as a due to Eritrea's separation would be "addressed tomorrow".

The Ethiopian envoy to neighboring Kenya, retired Gen Bacha Debele, said that Assab was "belonging to Ethiopia" and would be given back "by force".

Eritrean Reaction to the Claims

Despite ongoing warnings from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's reaction has been limited to short statements on online platforms from Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel.

The minister has dismissed Ethiopian requests for access to the Red Sea describing it as "risky" and a "harmful plan" of "territorial claims" – a approach of reclaiming former lands.

Government spokespeople alerted on recently that attempts to validate "obvious provocation" would have significant repercussions for Ethiopia and its neighbors and is a "redline that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Defense Activities on the Border

There have been no reports of significant troop deployments in the boundary zones between the two countries.

Nevertheless, in the country, national TV has shown training completions of many recruits at different defense facilities.

The director of human resources department of the military, the officer, stated recently in an interview that the military was in a "reliable position" as "tens of thousands of recruits" were entering service, which he said was "a signal to our opponents".

Historical Origins of the Conflict

For decades from 1890, Eritrea was governed by Italian colonisers.

After the end of Italian rule, it was then controlled by the UK forces before evolving into a associated territory of the Ethiopian empire.

But in 1962 Emperor Haile Selassie I cancelled this agreement and Eritrea became completely integrated into the Ethiopian state.

A thirty-year civil war occurred, ending with Ethiopia's defeat in 1991. Sovereignty was then approved by voters in a plebiscite in 1993.

Temporarily in the 1990s, there were friendly connections between the governments in Ethiopia's capital and Asmara, but they disagreed over the precise positioning of their mutual frontier, causing conflict in 1998.

Even though this finished in a peace deal in 2000, it was incompletely executed, and the both countries stayed at odds.

This ended in 2018, when the Prime Minister made overtures to Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki. The both leaders signed a announcement that the war was finished – a decision that earned Abiy the prestigious award.

The both administrations were then allies in the country's 2020-2022 internal conflict in Tigray.

However relations have subsequently deteriorated again.