Intensifying Verbal Conflict Among Ethiopia and Eritrean Government Raises Concerns of Armed Clash

Growing apprehensions are present about the potential of armed conflict between East African countries, the Ethiopian government and Eritrea, as confrontational rhetoric has ratcheted up in the last month.

What Did Ethiopian Officials Stated?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, calls for access to the sea coast through Eritrean territory has triggered a fierce rhetorical conflict.

The Ethiopian leader initially stated publicly in 2023 that his nation's access to the sea was an existential matter, comments that Eritrean authorities ignored.

Diplomatic connections between the both governments have regularly been difficult. After a long-standing struggle for freedom, the Eritrean state, which has a long maritime frontage, formally separated from Ethiopia in 1993, leaving it cut off from the sea.

In 1998, a border war erupted in which over a hundred thousand people were killed.

Recent Statements from Ethiopian Government

Abiy and army chief Field Marshal Birhanu Jula have openly claimed ownership of Eritrea's southern port of Assab – some 60 km from the frontier - and hinted at the wish to take it by force.

On 1 September, Abiy said the country's "error" of losing entry to the Red Sea as a result of Eritrea secession would be "addressed soon".

Ethiopia's ambassador to Kenya, former General Bacha Debele, said that Assab was "Ethiopian property" and would be given back "using武力".

Eritrea's Reaction to the Claims

In the face of persistent challenges from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's response has been restricted to short statements on online platforms from Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel.

He has rejected Ethiopia's push for sea access describing it as "hazardous" and a "harmful plan" of "territorial claims" – a approach of reclaiming lost territory.

The information ministry warned on recently that efforts to legitimise "flagrant aggression" would have significant repercussions for Ethiopia and its regional partners and is a "redline that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Security Activities on the Border

Currently, there are no reports of significant troop deployments in the border areas between the two countries.

However, in the country, national TV has broadcast training completions of numerous trainees at various military training camps.

The leader of human resources department of the armed forces, General Hachalu, recently said in an discussion that the defense forces was in a "strong stance" as "numerous of recruits" were enlisting, which he said was "a message to our opponents".

Past Background of the Dispute

For over fifty years from the late 19th century, the territory was governed by Italian colonisers.

After the end of Italian rule, it was then administered by the British administration before turning into a federated part of the Ethiopian empire.

However in 1962 Emperor Haile Selassie I cancelled this arrangement and Eritrea became fully incorporated into Ethiopia.

A thirty-year internal conflict occurred, concluding with military reversal in the early 1990s. Sovereignty was then confirmed by voters in a vote in 1993.

Temporarily in the 1990s, there were friendly connections between the leadership in Addis Ababa and Asmara, but they fell out over the specific demarcation of their shared boundary, leading to conflict in 1998.

Even though this concluded in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was never fully implemented, and the both countries remained at in dispute.

This changed in 2018, when the Prime Minister made gestures to Eritrea's leader President Isaias. The both leaders signed a statement that the hostilities was finished – a move that won Abiy the prestigious award.

The neighboring states were then cooperators in the country's 2020-2022 civil war in Tigray.

But diplomatic connections have since broken down once more.