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Growing concerns exist over the possibility of military engagement among Horn of Africa neighbors, the Ethiopian government and the Eritrean government, as confrontational language has intensified in the past few weeks.

What Did Ethiopian Officials Said?

Landlocked Ethiopia's demands for entry to the sea coast through Eritrean territory has triggered a fierce war of words.

The Ethiopian leader initially stated publicly in last year that his government's maritime access was an crucial concern, comments that Eritrean authorities dismissed.

Relations between the both governments have often been tense. Following a long-standing fight for sovereignty, the Eritrean state, which has a 1,350km (840-mile) sea border, officially seceded from Ethiopia in 1993, making it landlocked.

In 1998, a territorial conflict started in which more than 100,000 people lost their lives.

Current Comments from Ethiopia's Officials

Prime Minister Abiy and army chief General Birhanu Jula have publicly asserted control of Eritrean coastal city of the port of Assab – some 60 km from the border - and implied the desire to seize it militarily.

In early September, the Prime Minister said the country's "blunder" of losing entry to the sea as a result of Eritrean independence would be "addressed in the future".

Ethiopia's ambassador to Kenya, retired Gen Bacha Debele, said that Assab was "Ethiopia's wealth" and would be returned "through military action".

Eritrean Reaction to the Statements

In the face of persistent warnings from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's reaction has been confined to concise remarks on social media from Communications Head the minister.

The minister has dismissed Ethiopian requests for access to the Red Sea describing it as "dangerous" and a "harmful plan" of "territorial claims" – a approach of reclaiming lost territory.

Government spokespeople warned on recently that moves to justify "blatant hostility" would have significant repercussions for the Ethiopian government and its neighbouring countries and is a "boundary that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Military Preparations on the Region

There have been little evidence of major military movements in the boundary zones between the both nations.

However, in Ethiopia, state television has displayed completion events of many recruits at different defense facilities.

The director of human resources department of the military, Lt Gen Hachalu Sheleme, recently said in an discussion that the military was in a "secure situation" as "tens of thousands of young people" were enlisting, which he said was "a message to our opponents".

Historical Origins of the Tension

For over fifty years from 1890, Eritrea was ruled by Italian colonisers.

After World War II, it was then controlled by the UK forces before becoming a associated territory of the Ethiopian empire.

Yet in 1962 Emperor Haile Selassie I terminated this agreement and Eritrea became fully incorporated into the Ethiopian state.

A extended internal conflict occurred, concluding with Ethiopia's defeat in 1991. Independence was then confirmed by Eritreans in a plebiscite in 1993.

Briefly in the 1990s, there were positive ties between the leadership in Ethiopia's capital and Eritrea's capital, but they disagreed over the precise positioning of their common border, resulting in hostilities in 1998.

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

This situation improved in 2018, when Abiy made approaches to Eritrean President the president. The two signed a announcement that the war was finished – a decision that gained Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize.

The both administrations were then cooperators in the country's recent internal conflict in the northern region.

Yet diplomatic connections have since broken down anew.