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Increasing apprehensions are present regarding the potential of military engagement among East African countries, the Ethiopian government and Eritrea, as aggressive rhetoric has escalated in the past few weeks.

What Did Ethiopia Stated?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, calls for entry to the maritime outlet through Eritrean territory has sparked a intense war of words.

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

Ties between the both governments have often been tense. After a long-standing struggle for freedom, Eritrea, which has a extensive sea border, officially seceded from Ethiopian rule in the early 1990s, making it landlocked.

Five years later, a military clash started in which more than 100,000 people lost their lives.

Recent Statements from Ethiopian Officials

Abiy and military leader the army commander have openly claimed control of Eritrea's maritime facility of Assab – about 60km from the frontier - and hinted at the wish to capture it through military means.

On 1 September, Abiy said Ethiopia's "mistake" of losing entry to the Red Sea as a because of Eritrea's separation would be "addressed soon".

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

Eritrean Answer to the Threats

Despite persistent warnings from Ethiopia, Eritrea's reaction has been limited to brief comments on online platforms from Communications Head Yemane G..

He has rejected Ethiopian requests for access to the Red Sea describing it as "dangerous" and a "negative policy" of "territorial claims" – a strategy of claiming back lost territory.

Government spokespeople cautioned on recently that efforts to validate "flagrant aggression" would have serious consequences for the Ethiopian government and its neighbouring countries and is a "boundary that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Security Activities on the Region

So far, there are little evidence of significant troop deployments in the boundary zones between the neighboring states.

However, in Ethiopia, state television has displayed graduation ceremonies of many recruits at multiple army bases.

The director of human resources department of the military, Lt Gen Hachalu Sheleme, recently said in an conversation that the army was in a "reliable position" as "tens of thousands of youths" were entering service, which he said was "a message to our adversaries".

Previous Origins of the Conflict

For more than half a century from 1890, the territory was governed by colonial powers.

Following Italy's defeat, it was then controlled by the UK forces before becoming a associated territory of Ethiopia.

But in the early 1960s the Ethiopian emperor terminated this agreement and Eritrea became fully incorporated into Ethiopia.

A thirty-year civil war ensued, ending with Ethiopia's defeat in the early 1990s. Independence was then confirmed by Eritreans in a vote in 1993.

Briefly in the 1990s, there were good relations between the governments in Ethiopia's capital and Eritrea's capital, but they fell out over the exact location of their common border, resulting in hostilities in 1998.

Even though this finished in a peace deal in 2000, it was partially applied, and the two nations stayed at odds.

This changed in 2018, when the Prime Minister made approaches to Eritrean President the president. The two endorsed a declaration that the hostilities was over – a action that earned Abiy the international recognition.

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

But relations have since broken down again.