π Share this article Intensifying Verbal Conflict Involving Ethiopia and Eritrean Government Sparks Anxieties of Military Confrontation Mounting concerns are present over the possibility of armed conflict among East African countries, Ethiopia and Eritrea, as confrontational language has intensified in recent weeks. Ethiopia and Eritrea cooperated in the armed struggle in northern Ethiopia but they have subsequently disagreed. What Has Ethiopia Stated? Ethiopia's, being landlocked, demands for entry to the maritime outlet through Eritrean territory has sparked a intense verbal exchange. PM Abiy Ahmed previously announced in the previous year that his nation's sea access was an vital issue, comments that Eritrea rejected. Diplomatic connections between the two countries have regularly been difficult. Following a decades-long fight for sovereignty, Eritrea, which has a long maritime frontage, officially seceded from Ethiopia in the early 1990s, rendering it landlocked. Five years later, a military clash erupted in which numerous people died. Recent Remarks from Ethiopia's Leadership Abiy and army chief General Birhanu Jula have publicly asserted sovereignty of Eritrean coastal city of Assab β approximately 60 kilometers from the border - and suggested the wish to capture it through military means. On 1 September, Abiy said the country's "blunder" of losing entry to the Red Sea as a because of Eritrea's separation would be "corrected tomorrow". Ethiopia's ambassador to Kenya, ex-military officer Bacha, said that the port was "Ethiopian property" and would be returned "by force". Eritrea's Reaction to the Claims Despite continuous challenges from Ethiopia, Eritrea's reaction has been restricted to short statements on social media from Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel. Officials have denied Ethiopian requests for sea access calling it "risky" and a "toxic agenda" of "irredentism" β a policy of reclaiming previous domains. The information ministry cautioned on recently that moves to validate "flagrant aggression" would have major implications for Ethiopia and its neighbouring countries and is a "redline that should not be crossed|violated|breached". Security Preparations on the Border Currently, there are little evidence of large-scale army activities in the frontier regions between the neighboring states. Nonetheless, in Ethiopia, state television has shown training completions of thousands of cadets at multiple army bases. The head of staff section of the armed forces, General Hachalu, stated recently in an interview that the army was in a "strong stance" as "tens of thousands of youths" were joining it, which he said was "a signal to our enemies". Past Roots of the Dispute For over fifty years from 1890, Eritrea was administered by colonial powers. After Italy's defeat, it was then managed by the British administration before turning into a federated part of Ethiopia. Yet in the early 1960s Emperor Haile Selassie I ended this system and Eritrea became completely integrated into the Ethiopian state. A extended civil war ensued, ending with military reversal in the early 1990s. Autonomy was then approved by Eritreans in a referendum in 1993. Briefly in the 1990s, there were friendly connections between the leadership in Ethiopia's capital and Eritrea's capital, but they fell out over the precise positioning of their shared boundary, resulting in war in 1998. Although this finished in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was never fully implemented, and the neighbors remained at loggerheads. This situation improved in 2018, when Abiy made gestures to Eritrea's leader the president. The both leaders endorsed a statement that the conflict was finished β a action that earned Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize. The neighboring states were then partners in Ethiopia's previous armed struggle in the northern region. Yet relations have later worsened anew.