🔗 Share this article Rising War of Words Between Ethiopian Government and Eritrean Government Triggers Fears of Military Confrontation Increasing worries have emerged regarding the potential of military engagement involving East African neighbours, the Ethiopian government and the Eritrean government, as hostile language has escalated in the past few weeks. The Ethiopian government and The Eritrean government were allies in the armed struggle in northern Ethiopia but they have subsequently disagreed. What Has Ethiopia Stated? Landlocked Ethiopia's demands for access to the sea coast through Eritrean territory has sparked a intense rhetorical conflict. Ethiopian Prime Minister first openly declared in the previous year that his nation's access to the sea was an vital issue, statements that Eritrea dismissed. Diplomatic connections between the two countries have often been tense. After a decades-long struggle for freedom, Eritrea, which has a extensive sea border, legally broke away from Ethiopia in 1993, rendering it landlocked. In 1998, a military clash erupted in which over a hundred thousand people lost their lives. Current Remarks from Ethiopian Government Prime Minister Abiy and army chief the army commander have directly stated sovereignty of Eritrea's southern port of Assab – some 60 km from the frontier - and implied the desire to seize it militarily. On 1 September, Abiy said Ethiopia's "mistake" of losing entry to the sea as a due to Eritrean independence would be "addressed in the future". Ethiopia's ambassador to Kenya, ex-military officer Bacha, said that Assab was "belonging to Ethiopia" and would be given back "by force". Eritrea's Answer to the Threats In the face of persistent challenges from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's response has been limited to short statements on X from Information Minister Yemane G.. Officials have denied Ethiopia's demand for access to the Red Sea describing it as "hazardous" and a "negative policy" of "expansionism" – a approach of retaking lost territory. Eritrean authorities cautioned on mid-September that attempts to justify "blatant hostility" would have significant repercussions for Ethiopia and its neighbors and is a "boundary that should not be crossed|violated|breached". Military Activities on the Ground So far, there are little evidence of significant troop deployments in the border areas between the neighboring states. Nevertheless, in the country, national TV has broadcast completion events of numerous trainees at different defense facilities. The leader of staff section of the defense force, General Hachalu, commented lately in an interview that the military was in a "secure situation" as "many thousands of young people" were joining it, which he said was "a warning to our adversaries". Previous Roots of the Dispute For decades from 1890, the territory was administered by colonial powers. Following World War II, it was then administered by the British military before turning into a integrated region of the Ethiopian empire. However in 1962 Emperor Haile Selassie I terminated this system and Eritrea became fully incorporated into the Ethiopian state. A extended internal conflict followed, finishing with the government's loss in the early 1990s. Sovereignty was then confirmed by voters in a referendum in 1993. Briefly in the 1990s, there were friendly connections between the leadership in Ethiopia's capital and Asmara, but they fell out over the precise positioning of their common border, leading to conflict in 1998. Though this ended in a peace deal in 2000, it was never fully implemented, and the two nations remained at in dispute. This situation improved in 2018, when the Prime Minister made approaches to Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki. The both leaders signed a declaration that the war was over – a move that earned Abiy the prestigious award. The both administrations were then cooperators in the country's 2020-2022 civil war in Tigray. But diplomatic connections have since broken down again.