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Increasing worries have emerged over the potential of armed conflict among Horn of Africa countries, the Ethiopian government and Eritrea, as aggressive discourse has escalated in the past few weeks.

What Has Ethiopia Declared?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, calls for access to the sea coast through Eritrea has provoked a fierce rhetorical conflict.

The Ethiopian leader first openly declared in the previous year that his government's sea access was an crucial concern, remarks that Eritrea rejected.

Diplomatic connections between the both governments have regularly been difficult. Following a prolonged fight for sovereignty, Eritrea, which has a extensive sea border, legally broke away from Ethiopian rule in 1993, making it without sea access.

Subsequently, a military clash erupted in which over a hundred thousand people died.

Recent Comments from Ethiopian Government

Abiy and military leader General Birhanu Jula have publicly asserted ownership of Eritrean coastal city of Assab – about 60km from the frontier - and implied the intention to capture it through military means.

In early September, Abiy said the country's "error" of being denied passage to the sea as a due to Eritrean independence would be "corrected tomorrow".

The Ethiopian envoy to Kenya, former General Bacha Debele, said that the port was "belonging to Ethiopia" and would be returned "through military action".

Eritrean Response to the Claims

In the face of continuous challenges from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's response has been confined to concise remarks on social media from Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel.

Officials have denied Ethiopian requests for sea access calling it "risky" and a "toxic agenda" of "territorial claims" – a strategy of claiming back lost territory.

The information ministry cautioned on 16 September that moves to validate "blatant hostility" would have significant repercussions for Ethiopia and its neighbouring countries and is a "boundary that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Military Preparations on the Ground

So far, there are few indications of major military movements in the border areas between the both nations.

Nevertheless, in the country, state television has shown graduation ceremonies of thousands of cadets at various military training camps.

The head of staff section of the military, the officer, recently said in an conversation that the military was in a "secure situation" as "numerous of young people" were entering service, which he said was "a signal to our adversaries".

Past Background of the Dispute

For decades from the late 19th century, Eritrea was governed by colonial powers.

After World War II, it was then controlled by the British administration before evolving into a federated part of Ethiopia.

However in 1962 Emperor Haile Selassie I cancelled this agreement and the region became totally absorbed into Ethiopia.

A thirty-year civil war ensued, finishing with military reversal in the early 1990s. Independence was then confirmed by voters in a vote in 1993.

Temporarily in the 1990s, there were friendly connections between the leadership in Addis Ababa and Asmara, but they fell out over the exact location of their shared boundary, leading to conflict in 1998.

Even though this concluded in a truce in 2000, it was never fully implemented, and the two nations remained at loggerheads.

This changed in 2018, when Abiy made gestures to Eritrean President the president. The both leaders endorsed a declaration that the war was finished – a move that earned the Prime Minister the prestigious award.

The both administrations were then allies in Ethiopia's recent internal conflict in Tigray.

However relations have since broken down anew.