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Increasing apprehensions are present over the chance of armed conflict among East African countries, Ethiopia and the Eritrean government, as aggressive rhetoric has intensified in recent weeks.

What Has Ethiopia Stated?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, requests for access to the maritime outlet through Eritrean territory has sparked a heated war of words.

PM Abiy Ahmed first openly declared in last year that his government's access to the sea was an vital issue, remarks that Eritrean authorities dismissed.

Relations between the two countries have often been tense. Following a prolonged fight for sovereignty, Eritrea, which has a 1,350km (840-mile) maritime frontage, legally broke away from Ethiopian rule in the early 1990s, making it landlocked.

In 1998, a military clash erupted in which over a hundred thousand people lost their lives.

Current Remarks from Ethiopia's Government

Prime Minister Abiy and military leader Field Marshal Birhanu Jula have directly stated control of Eritrean coastal city of the port of Assab – approximately 60 kilometers from the boundary - and hinted at the wish to capture it through military means.

On 1 September, Abiy said the country's "error" of losing entry to the Red Sea as a result of Eritrean independence would be "addressed tomorrow".

The Ethiopian envoy to Kenya, retired Gen Bacha Debele, said that the port was "Ethiopia's wealth" and would be restored "by force".

Eritrea's Answer to the Threats

Amid persistent challenges from Ethiopian officials, Eritrea's reaction has been restricted to short statements on social media from Communications Head Yemane Gebremeskel.

Officials have denied Ethiopian requests for access to the Red Sea calling it "risky" and a "harmful plan" of "territorial claims" – a strategy of reclaiming former lands.

Government spokespeople cautioned on recently that moves to justify "obvious provocation" would have serious consequences for the Ethiopian government and its neighbors and is a "redline that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Defense Preparations on the Region

So far, there are no reports of major military movements in the boundary zones between the both nations.

Nevertheless, in the country, state television has displayed training completions of many recruits at different defense facilities.

The director of human resources department of the defense force, Lt Gen Hachalu Sheleme, stated recently in an interview that the military was in a "reliable position" as "tens of thousands of youths" were entering service, which he said was "a signal to our enemies".

Past Origins of the Conflict

For over fifty years from 1890, Eritrea was ruled by Italian colonisers.

Following Italy's defeat, it was then controlled by the UK forces before evolving into a integrated region of the Ethiopian empire.

Yet in the early 1960s the ruler ended this agreement and the region became completely integrated into the Ethiopian state.

A extended internal conflict occurred, ending with Ethiopia's defeat in the early 1990s. Autonomy was then confirmed by Eritreans in a vote in 1993.

Temporarily in the 1990s, there were friendly connections between the governments in Ethiopia's capital and Eritrea's capital, but they disagreed over the exact location of their common border, leading to conflict in 1998.

Though this ended in a ceasefire agreement in 2000, it was partially applied, and the neighbors stayed at loggerheads.

This changed in 2018, when Abiy made overtures to Eritrean President the president. The both leaders endorsed a declaration that the war was over – a move that won Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize.

The two governments were then cooperators in Ethiopia's recent armed struggle in Tigray.

Yet ties have later worsened once more.