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Increasing worries have emerged regarding the chance of military engagement between East African neighbors, the Ethiopian government and Eritrea, as confrontational rhetoric has escalated in recent weeks.

What Has Ethiopian Officials Stated?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, calls for entry to the sea coast through Eritrea has sparked a intense verbal exchange.

PM Abiy Ahmed initially stated publicly in last year that his country's access to the sea was an existential matter, remarks that Eritrean authorities ignored.

Ties between the neighboring nations have frequently been strained. After a prolonged struggle for freedom, Eritrea, which has a 1,350km (840-mile) sea border, officially seceded from Ethiopian rule in 1993, rendering it cut off from the sea.

In 1998, a territorial conflict erupted in which more than 100,000 people were killed.

Latest Statements from Ethiopian Government

Abiy and army chief General Birhanu Jula have directly stated sovereignty of Eritrean coastal city of Assab – some 60 km from the border - and implied the wish to seize it militarily.

In early September, the Prime Minister said Ethiopia's "mistake" of losing entry to the Red Sea as a result of Eritrea's separation would be "rectified in the future".

The Ethiopian envoy to neighboring Kenya, retired Gen Bacha Debele, said that Assab was "belonging to Ethiopia" and would be returned "using武力".

Eritrea's Reaction to the Threats

Amid ongoing threats from Ethiopia, Eritrea's response has been limited to short statements on social media from Communications Head Yemane G..

He has rejected Ethiopian requests for sea access calling it "dangerous" and a "harmful plan" of "expansionism" – a approach of retaking previous domains.

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

Defense Preparations on the Region

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

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

The head of human resources department of the armed forces, General Hachalu, commented lately in an discussion that the defense forces was in a "reliable position" as "many thousands of recruits" were enlisting, which he said was "a message to our opponents".

Past Origins of the Dispute

For decades from the late 19th century, the territory was ruled by colonial powers.

After Italy's defeat, it was then controlled by the British administration before turning into a associated territory of Ethiopia.

However in 1962 the ruler ended this arrangement and Eritrea became fully incorporated into the Ethiopian state.

A extended armed struggle occurred, ending with the government's loss in 1991. Sovereignty was then confirmed by the population in a vote in 1993.

For a few years in the 1990s, there were good relations between the governments in Ethiopia's capital and Eritrea's capital, but they fell out over the exact location of their mutual frontier, causing conflict in 1998.

Although this concluded in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was incompletely executed, and the neighbors continued at odds.

This changed in 2018, when Abiy made gestures to Eritrea's leader the president. The both leaders signed a announcement that the hostilities was finished – a decision that won the Prime Minister the international recognition.

The two governments were then partners in Ethiopia's recent civil war in the northern region.

Yet diplomatic connections have since broken down anew.