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Mounting concerns have emerged over the chance of warfare involving Horn of Africa neighbors, Ethiopia and Eritrea, as hostile rhetoric has ratcheted up in the past few weeks.

What Did Ethiopia Declared?

Landlocked Ethiopia's calls for passage to the Red Sea through Eritrea has provoked a heated war of words.

The Ethiopian leader previously announced in the previous year that his country's maritime access was an existential matter, remarks that Eritrean authorities rejected.

Relations between the neighboring nations have regularly been difficult. Following a prolonged fight for sovereignty, Eritrea, which has a 1,350km (840-mile) sea border, formally separated from Ethiopian rule in 1993, making it landlocked.

Five years later, a territorial conflict erupted in which numerous people died.

Recent Statements from Ethiopian Officials

Prime Minister Abiy and army chief General Birhanu Jula have publicly asserted sovereignty of Eritrea's southern port of the port of Assab – about 60km from the frontier - and suggested the desire to seize it militarily.

On 1 September, the Prime Minister said the country's "mistake" of losing access to the sea as a result of Eritrean independence would be "addressed soon".

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

Eritrea's Reaction to the Claims

Despite ongoing warnings from Ethiopian officials, Asmara's position has been limited to concise remarks on social media from Communications Head the minister.

Officials have denied Ethiopia's push for access to the Red Sea describing it as "risky" and a "toxic agenda" of "irredentism" – a strategy of retaking previous domains.

The information ministry alerted on mid-September that moves to justify "blatant hostility" would have serious consequences for the Ethiopian government and its neighbouring countries and is a "redline that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Defense Activities on the Ground

Currently, there are no reports of major military movements in the frontier regions between the neighboring states.

However, in Ethiopia, state television has displayed completion events of many recruits at various military training camps.

The head of staff section of the defense force, Lt Gen Hachalu Sheleme, recently said in an conversation that the military was in a "strong stance" as "many thousands of young people" were enlisting, which he said was "a warning to our opponents".

Historical Background of the Conflict

For decades from the late 19th century, Eritrea was governed by Italian rulers.

After the end of Italian rule, it was then controlled by the UK forces before evolving into a associated territory of Ethiopia.

Yet in 1962 Emperor Haile Selassie I terminated this arrangement and Eritrea became totally absorbed into Ethiopia.

A extended civil war followed, concluding with the government's loss in 1991. Autonomy was then endorsed by Eritreans in a plebiscite in 1993.

For a few years in the 1990s, there were good relations between the governments in Ethiopia's capital and Asmara, but they clashed over the precise positioning of their common border, causing war in 1998.

Although this ended in a truce in 2000, it was partially applied, and the two nations continued at loggerheads.

This changed in 2018, when the Prime Minister made approaches to Eritrea's leader Isaias Afwerki. The two signed a statement 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 Tigray.

However relations have since broken down again.