🔗 Share this article Rising War of Words Between Ethiopia and Eritrea Raises Fears of Armed Clash Growing worries exist about the potential of armed conflict among East African neighbors, Ethiopia and Eritrea, as hostile discourse has intensified in recent weeks. Ethiopia and The Eritrean government were allies in the internal conflict in Tigray but they have later become estranged. What Did Ethiopian Officials Said? Landlocked Ethiopia's calls for entry to the sea coast through Eritrea has triggered a intense verbal exchange. The Ethiopian leader initially stated publicly in the previous year that his nation's sea access was an vital issue, comments that Eritrea rejected. Diplomatic connections between the both governments have often been tense. After a decades-long battle for independence, Eritrea, which has a extensive sea border, officially seceded from Ethiopia in the early 1990s, making it without sea access. Subsequently, a military clash broke out in which over a hundred thousand people lost their lives. Recent Statements from Ethiopia's Leadership Prime Minister Abiy and army chief the army commander have openly claimed ownership of Eritrean southern port of the port of Assab – about 60km from the frontier - and suggested the wish to seize it militarily. In early September, the Prime Minister said the country's "error" of losing access to the sea as a due to Eritrea's separation would be "rectified tomorrow". The Ethiopian envoy to neighboring Kenya, former General Bacha Debele, said that Assab was "Ethiopian property" and would be restored "using武力". Eritrea's Answer to the Statements Amid continuous warnings from Ethiopia, Eritrea's response has been restricted to short statements on online platforms from Communications Head the minister. Officials have denied Ethiopia's demand for maritime entry calling it "hazardous" and a "toxic agenda" of "expansionism" – a strategy of reclaiming former lands. Government spokespeople alerted on 16 September that efforts to validate "obvious provocation" would have significant repercussions for Ethiopia and its neighbors and is a "boundary that should not be crossed|violated|breached". Security Movements on the Region There have been few indications of large-scale army activities in the frontier regions between the neighboring states. Nonetheless, in Ethiopia, government media has broadcast training completions of many recruits at multiple army bases. The leader of staff section of the armed forces, General Hachalu, commented lately in an conversation that the military was in a "strong stance" as "numerous of recruits" were entering service, which he said was "a signal to our opponents". Historical Roots of the Dispute For decades from 1890, the territory was ruled by colonial powers. Following Italy's defeat, it was then controlled by the British military before becoming a integrated region of Ethiopia. Yet in the early 1960s the ruler cancelled this arrangement and Eritrea became totally absorbed into Ethiopia. A three-decade long civil war ensued, ending with the government's loss in 1991. Sovereignty was then approved by Eritreans in a plebiscite in 1993. Temporarily in the 1990s, there were friendly connections between the authorities in Ethiopia's capital and Eritrea's capital, but they disagreed over the exact location of their common border, causing hostilities in 1998. Though this concluded in a peace deal in 2000, it was never fully implemented, and the neighbors stayed at in dispute. This changed in 2018, when the Prime Minister made overtures to Eritrea's leader the president. The both leaders signed a declaration that the war was finished – a decision that earned the Prime Minister the international recognition. The two governments were then allies in the country's recent armed struggle in the northern region. Yet ties have subsequently deteriorated once more.