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Mounting apprehensions are present regarding the chance of military engagement between Horn of Africa neighbours, Ethiopia and Eritrea, as confrontational rhetoric has escalated in the past few weeks.

What Has Ethiopian Officials Declared?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, requests for entry to the sea coast through Eritrean territory has triggered a heated war of words.

The Ethiopian leader previously announced in last year that his country's sea access was an existential matter, remarks that Eritrea dismissed.

Relations between the two countries have frequently been strained. After a decades-long battle for independence, the Eritrean state, which has a 1,350km (840-mile) maritime frontage, formally separated from Ethiopian rule in 1993, rendering it without sea access.

In 1998, a territorial conflict started in which numerous people died.

Current Statements from Ethiopia's Leadership

Abiy and army chief the army commander have directly stated control of Eritrean southern port of Assab – about 60km from the frontier - and implied the intention to take it by force.

Recently, Abiy said the country's "error" of being denied passage to the Red Sea as a because of Eritrean independence would be "addressed in the future".

Ethiopia's ambassador to neighboring Kenya, retired Gen Bacha Debele, said that the port was "Ethiopian property" and would be given back "using武力".

Eritrea's Reaction to the Threats

Despite continuous threats from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's reaction has been restricted to short statements on social media from Communications Head the minister.

Officials have denied Ethiopia's demand for sea access labeling it "dangerous" and a "negative policy" of "expansionism" – a strategy of retaking lost territory.

The information ministry alerted on recently that moves to justify "flagrant aggression" would have major implications for Ethiopia and its regional partners and is a "boundary that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Military Movements on the Border

Currently, there are few indications of major military movements in the boundary zones between the both nations.

Nonetheless, in the country, government media has broadcast training completions of numerous trainees at various military training camps.

The director of human resources department of the military, General Hachalu, recently said in an conversation that the military was in a "secure situation" as "numerous of youths" were joining it, which he said was "a signal to our opponents".

Previous Origins of the Dispute

For decades from 1890, the territory was governed by colonial powers.

Following the end of Italian rule, it was then controlled by the UK forces before evolving into a integrated region of Ethiopia.

Yet in 1962 the ruler cancelled this system and the region became fully incorporated into the Ethiopian state.

A extended armed struggle occurred, ending with military reversal in 1991. Autonomy was then endorsed by Eritreans in a plebiscite in 1993.

Briefly in the 1990s, there were good relations between the governments in Addis Ababa and Asmara, but they disagreed over the specific demarcation of their shared boundary, resulting in conflict in 1998.

Even though this ended in a truce in 2000, it was incompletely executed, and the two nations stayed at loggerheads.

This changed in 2018, when Abiy made gestures to Eritrea's leader the president. The both leaders agreed to a statement that the war was concluded – a decision that earned the Prime Minister the international recognition.

The two governments were then cooperators in Ethiopia's previous internal conflict in the northern region.

But relations have subsequently deteriorated anew.