🔗 Share this article Escalating Verbal Conflict Involving Ethiopia and Eritrea Sparks Anxieties of Conflict Mounting concerns have emerged over the potential of armed conflict among Horn of Africa countries, the Ethiopian government and Eritrea, as hostile discourse has ratcheted up in recent weeks. Ethiopia and Eritrea cooperated in the internal conflict in Tigray but they have later become estranged. What Has Ethiopia Said? Ethiopia's, being landlocked, requests for access to the maritime outlet through Eritrean territory has triggered a intense war of words. PM Abiy Ahmed initially stated publicly in 2023 that his government's access to the sea was an existential matter, comments that Eritrean authorities rejected. Ties between the two countries have often been tense. Following a long-standing struggle for freedom, Eritrea, which has a long maritime frontage, legally broke away from Ethiopian rule in 1993, rendering it landlocked. Five years later, a military clash erupted in which over a hundred thousand people lost their lives. Recent Comments from Ethiopia's Leadership Prime Minister Abiy and army chief the army commander have directly stated control of Eritrea's maritime facility of Assab – approximately 60 kilometers from the boundary - and suggested the wish to seize it militarily. Recently, the Prime Minister said Ethiopia's "mistake" of being denied passage to the sea as a due to Eritrea's separation would be "addressed in the future". The Ethiopian envoy to neighboring Kenya, ex-military officer Bacha, said that Assab was "Ethiopian property" and would be restored "using武力". Eritrea's Reaction to the Threats Amid persistent warnings from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's response has been restricted to short statements on social media from Communications Head the minister. Officials have denied Ethiopia's demand for access to the Red Sea describing it as "risky" and a "negative policy" of "territorial claims" – a approach of retaking previous domains. Eritrean authorities alerted on recently that efforts to justify "blatant hostility" would have significant repercussions for Ethiopia and its neighbouring countries and is a "limit that should not be crossed|violated|breached". Defense Preparations on the Border There have been little evidence of large-scale army activities in the border areas between the two countries. Nonetheless, in Ethiopia, national TV has shown completion events of many recruits at different defense facilities. The head of human resources department of the armed forces, General Hachalu, commented lately in an conversation that the military was in a "strong stance" as "numerous of young people" were enlisting, which he said was "a message to our opponents". Previous Origins of the Conflict For over fifty years from 1890, the territory was administered by Italian rulers. Following Italy's defeat, it was then managed by the UK forces before becoming a integrated region of Ethiopia. But in 1962 the ruler terminated this system and the region became totally absorbed into Ethiopia. A three-decade long armed struggle followed, concluding with military reversal in 1991. Autonomy was then confirmed by Eritreans in a plebiscite in 1993. Temporarily in the 1990s, there were positive ties between the authorities in Addis Ababa and Asmara, but they clashed over the precise positioning of their common border, leading to war in 1998. Even though this ended in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was never fully implemented, and the both countries stayed at odds. This ended in 2018, when the Prime Minister made approaches to Eritrean President the president. The two signed a announcement that the hostilities was over – a decision that earned the Prime Minister the Nobel Peace Prize. The both administrations were then cooperators in the country's recent civil war in Tigray. Yet relations have subsequently deteriorated anew.