Intensifying War of Words Between Ethiopia and Eritrean Government Raises Concerns of Conflict

Increasing worries are present about the possibility of warfare between East African neighbors, Ethiopia and the Eritrean government, as confrontational discourse has intensified in recent weeks.

What Has Ethiopian Officials Declared?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, requests for access to the sea coast through Eritrean territory has triggered a intense verbal exchange.

PM Abiy Ahmed initially stated publicly in the previous year that his nation's maritime access was an vital issue, comments that Eritrea ignored.

Ties between the neighboring nations have regularly been difficult. Following a prolonged fight for sovereignty, Eritrea, which has a extensive Red Sea coastline, legally broke away from Ethiopian rule in the early 1990s, rendering it without sea access.

In 1998, a military clash broke out in which numerous people were killed.

Recent Comments from Ethiopia's Government

Abiy and army chief General Birhanu Jula have openly claimed ownership of Eritrean southern port of Assab – some 60 km from the boundary - and suggested the wish to take it by force.

In early September, the Prime Minister said Ethiopia's "error" of losing entry to the sea as a result of Eritrea secession would be "rectified in the future".

Ethiopia's ambassador to neighboring Kenya, ex-military officer Bacha, said that the port was "Ethiopian property" and would be returned "through military action".

Eritrean Answer to the Claims

Despite continuous threats from Ethiopian officials, Asmara's position has been confined to short statements on online platforms from Communications Head Yemane Gebremeskel.

Officials have denied Ethiopian requests for access to the Red Sea calling it "risky" and a "harmful plan" of "territorial claims" – a policy of reclaiming previous domains.

Government spokespeople warned on recently that moves to legitimise "obvious provocation" would have major implications for Ethiopia and its regional partners and is a "limit that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Security Preparations on the Region

So far, there are no reports of major military movements in the boundary zones between the two countries.

Nonetheless, in Ethiopia, government media has shown completion events of many recruits at multiple army bases.

The head of personnel division of the military, the officer, commented lately in an discussion that the military was in a "reliable position" as "numerous of youths" were joining it, which he said was "a warning to our adversaries".

Past Origins of the Dispute

For more than half a century from the late 19th century, Eritrea was administered by colonial powers.

After World War II, it was then controlled by the UK forces before turning into a federated part of the Ethiopian empire.

Yet in the early 1960s Emperor Haile Selassie I terminated this agreement and the region became totally absorbed into the Ethiopian state.

A three-decade long armed struggle occurred, ending with the government's loss in the early 1990s. Independence was then endorsed by the population in a vote in 1993.

Temporarily in the 1990s, there were friendly connections between the leadership in Addis Ababa and Eritrea's capital, but they disagreed over the exact location of their common border, leading to war in 1998.

Even though this concluded in a truce in 2000, it was partially applied, and the neighbors stayed at in dispute.

This changed in 2018, when Abiy made approaches to Eritrean President the president. The both leaders signed a declaration that the war was concluded – a decision that won the Prime Minister the international recognition.

The both administrations were then partners in Ethiopia's recent internal conflict in Tigray.

Yet relations have since broken down anew.