Intensifying War of Words Involving Ethiopian Government and Eritrea Sparks Concerns of Conflict

Increasing apprehensions have emerged over the chance of armed conflict between East African neighbours, the Ethiopian government and the Eritrean government, as aggressive language has intensified in the past few weeks.

What Has Ethiopia Declared?

Landlocked Ethiopia's requests for entry to the sea coast through Eritrean territory has sparked a fierce rhetorical conflict.

The Ethiopian leader previously announced in last year that his country's sea access was an crucial concern, comments that Eritrean authorities ignored.

Diplomatic connections between the neighboring nations have often been tense. After a long-standing fight for sovereignty, Eritrea, which has a 1,350km (840-mile) sea border, legally broke away from Ethiopian rule in 1993, making it landlocked.

In 1998, a territorial conflict broke out in which over a hundred thousand people were killed.

Latest Statements from Ethiopia's Officials

Abiy and military leader General Birhanu Jula have directly stated sovereignty of Eritrean southern port of Assab – about 60km from the border - and hinted at the desire to take it by force.

Recently, Abiy said the country's "error" of losing entry to the Red Sea as a due to Eritrea's separation would be "addressed in the future".

The Ethiopian envoy to Kenya, retired Gen Bacha Debele, said that the port was "Ethiopian property" and would be returned "using武力".

Eritrea's Reaction to the Statements

Amid persistent threats from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's reaction has been limited to concise remarks on social media from Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel.

He has rejected Ethiopia's demand for sea access labeling it "risky" and a "harmful plan" of "irredentism" – a policy of claiming back lost territory.

Government spokespeople cautioned on recently that attempts to legitimise "flagrant aggression" would have serious consequences for Ethiopia and its regional partners and is a "redline that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Defense Movements on the Region

Currently, there are few indications of major military movements in the frontier regions between the neighboring states.

Nonetheless, in Ethiopia, national TV has broadcast training completions of many recruits at various military training camps.

The director of personnel division of the military, General Hachalu, recently said in an conversation that the army was in a "reliable position" as "many thousands of young people" were joining it, which he said was "a message to our adversaries".

Historical Background of the Dispute

For more than half a century from 1890, the territory was administered by Italian colonisers.

Following World War II, it was then managed by the British military before becoming a integrated region of the Ethiopian empire.

Yet in the early 1960s the Ethiopian emperor terminated this system and the region became fully incorporated into the Ethiopian state.

A three-decade long armed struggle ensued, finishing with Ethiopia's defeat in the early 1990s. Autonomy was then endorsed by the population in a referendum in 1993.

Temporarily in the 1990s, there were good relations between the governments in Addis Ababa and Eritrea's capital, but they disagreed over the precise positioning of their common border, leading to conflict in 1998.

Though this finished in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was never fully implemented, and the both countries stayed at odds.

This situation improved in 2018, when the Prime Minister made overtures to Eritrean President President Isaias. The two signed a announcement that the conflict was over – a move that won Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize.

The both administrations were then partners in Ethiopia's 2020-2022 civil war in Tigray.

But relations have later worsened again.