đź”— Share this article Rising Rhetorical Battle Between Ethiopian Government and Eritrean Government Triggers Concerns of Conflict Mounting worries exist about the chance of warfare involving Horn of Africa countries, Ethiopia and the Eritrean government, as confrontational language has intensified in the past few weeks. The Ethiopian government and Eritrea were allies in the civil war in Tigray but they have subsequently disagreed. What Did Ethiopia Stated? Landlocked Ethiopia's calls for access to the sea coast through Eritrea has sparked a fierce war of words. Ethiopian Prime Minister initially stated publicly in last year that his government's maritime access was an vital issue, statements that Eritrea dismissed. Relations between the two countries have often been tense. After a long-standing battle for independence, the Eritrean state, which has a long sea border, officially seceded from Ethiopia in the early 1990s, rendering it cut off from the sea. Subsequently, a border war broke out in which more than 100,000 people lost their lives. Latest Remarks from Ethiopian Leadership Abiy and military leader General Birhanu Jula have directly stated control of Eritrea's southern port of the port of Assab – approximately 60 kilometers from the border - and implied the wish to seize it militarily. In early September, Abiy said Ethiopia's "error" of being denied passage to the Red Sea as a result of Eritrea's separation would be "rectified in the future". Ethiopia's ambassador to Kenya, former General Bacha Debele, said that the port was "belonging to Ethiopia" and would be returned "usingć¦ĺŠ›". Eritrea's Response to the Threats In the face of ongoing warnings from Ethiopian officials, Asmara's position has been confined to concise remarks on X from Communications Head the minister. He has rejected Ethiopian requests for sea access labeling it "dangerous" and a "negative policy" of "expansionism" – a approach of reclaiming former lands. Eritrean authorities warned on recently that efforts to justify "blatant hostility" would have major implications for the Ethiopian government and its neighbouring countries and is a "limit that should not be crossed|violated|breached". Defense Activities on the Region So far, there are no reports of large-scale army activities in the frontier regions between the neighboring states. Nonetheless, in Ethiopia, national TV has displayed training completions of numerous trainees at various military training camps. The head of staff section of the defense force, Lt Gen Hachalu Sheleme, commented lately in an discussion that the defense forces was in a "strong stance" as "tens of thousands of youths" were joining it, which he said was "a message to our adversaries". Past Background of the Conflict For more than half a century from the late 19th century, the territory was administered by colonial powers. After the end of Italian rule, it was then administered by the British administration before evolving into a associated territory of the Ethiopian empire. But in 1962 Emperor Haile Selassie I terminated this system and the region became completely integrated into Ethiopia. A thirty-year internal conflict occurred, concluding with Ethiopia's defeat in the early 1990s. Independence was then endorsed by the population in a referendum in 1993. Temporarily in the 1990s, there were friendly connections between the authorities in Ethiopia's capital and Asmara, but they fell out over the precise positioning of their shared boundary, leading to conflict in 1998. Although this concluded in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was never fully implemented, and the two nations continued at in dispute. This ended in 2018, when Abiy made overtures to Eritrean President the president. The both leaders agreed to a statement that the hostilities was concluded – a move that earned Abiy the prestigious award. The neighboring states were then partners in the country's 2020-2022 internal conflict in the northern region. Yet relations have subsequently deteriorated anew.