🔗 Share this article Rising War of Words Among Ethiopia and Eritrean Government Raises Anxieties of Armed Clash Increasing worries have emerged over the potential of armed conflict among Horn of Africa neighbors, the Ethiopian government and the Eritrean government, as confrontational rhetoric has ratcheted up in the past few weeks. The Ethiopian government and The Eritrean government worked together in the civil war in Tigray but they have later become estranged. What Did Ethiopian Officials Declared? Ethiopia's, being landlocked, requests for passage to the Red Sea through Eritrean territory has triggered a fierce war of words. PM Abiy Ahmed first openly declared in last year that his nation's maritime access was an vital issue, comments that Eritrean authorities ignored. Diplomatic connections between the neighboring nations have frequently been strained. After a long-standing struggle for freedom, Eritrea, which has a 1,350km (840-mile) maritime frontage, legally broke away from Ethiopian rule in the early 1990s, leaving it landlocked. Five years later, a border war erupted in which more than 100,000 people died. Current Statements from Ethiopian Leadership Abiy and military leader the army commander have openly claimed sovereignty of Eritrea's southern port of Assab – about 60km from the boundary - and implied the intention to seize it militarily. Recently, the Prime Minister said the country's "error" of being denied passage to the sea as a result of Eritrea secession would be "rectified soon". Ethiopia's ambassador to neighboring Kenya, ex-military officer Bacha, said that the port was "Ethiopian property" and would be returned "by force". Eritrean Answer to the Statements Amid continuous warnings from Ethiopia, Asmara's position has been restricted to concise remarks on X from Information Minister Yemane G.. He has rejected Ethiopia's push for access to the Red Sea describing it as "hazardous" and a "negative policy" of "territorial claims" – a policy of reclaiming previous domains. Government spokespeople alerted on 16 September that attempts to legitimise "flagrant aggression" would have major implications for Ethiopia and its neighbors and is a "boundary that should not be crossed|violated|breached". Military Movements on the Border There have been little evidence of large-scale army activities in the border areas between the both nations. However, in Ethiopia, government media has shown training completions of numerous trainees at multiple army bases. The leader of staff section of the armed forces, Lt Gen Hachalu Sheleme, stated recently in an conversation that the defense forces was in a "reliable position" as "numerous of youths" were entering service, which he said was "a warning to our opponents". Historical Origins of the Dispute For over fifty years from the late 19th century, Eritrea was governed by Italian rulers. Following World War II, it was then managed by the British military before evolving into a federated part of the Ethiopian empire. But in 1962 the ruler ended this system and Eritrea became fully incorporated into the Ethiopian state. A three-decade long internal conflict occurred, ending with military reversal in the early 1990s. Autonomy was then endorsed by Eritreans in a referendum in 1993. Briefly in the 1990s, there were positive ties between the authorities in Addis Ababa and Asmara, but they fell out over the exact location of their common border, resulting in conflict in 1998. Even though this ended in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was never fully implemented, and the neighbors remained at odds. This situation improved in 2018, when the Prime Minister made overtures to Eritrea's leader the president. The both leaders signed a statement that the conflict was over – a decision that won the Prime Minister the prestigious award. The neighboring states were then cooperators in the country's 2020-2022 civil war in the northern region. However ties have since broken down anew.