Rising War of Words Between Ethiopia and Eritrean Government Sparks Concerns of Conflict

Increasing concerns exist regarding the possibility of military engagement involving East African neighbours, the Ethiopian government and the Eritrean government, as hostile language has ratcheted up in recent weeks.

What Has Ethiopia Said?

Ethiopia's, being landlocked, requests for entry to the maritime outlet through Eritrean territory has triggered a heated verbal exchange.

Ethiopian Prime Minister first openly declared in the previous year that his government's sea access was an existential matter, statements that Eritrean authorities rejected.

Diplomatic connections between the neighboring nations have frequently been strained. Following a prolonged struggle for freedom, Eritrea, which has a extensive sea border, officially seceded from Ethiopian rule in the early 1990s, leaving it cut off from the sea.

In 1998, a military clash broke out in which numerous people died.

Latest Comments from Ethiopia's Leadership

Prime Minister Abiy and military leader General Birhanu Jula have directly stated sovereignty of Eritrea's maritime facility of the port of Assab – approximately 60 kilometers from the border - and suggested the intention to capture it through military means.

On 1 September, the Prime Minister said Ethiopia's "error" of losing access to the Red Sea as a result of Eritrean independence would be "corrected tomorrow".

Ethiopia's ambassador to neighboring Kenya, ex-military officer Bacha, said that Assab was "belonging to Ethiopia" and would be restored "by force".

Eritrean Reaction to the Claims

In the face of ongoing warnings from Ethiopia, Eritrea's response has been limited to short statements on social media from Information Minister the minister.

The minister has dismissed Ethiopia's push for sea access labeling it "hazardous" and a "negative policy" of "irredentism" – a policy of reclaiming former lands.

Eritrean authorities warned on 16 September that moves to validate "obvious provocation" would have major implications for Ethiopia and its neighbors and is a "boundary that should not be crossed|violated|breached".

Military Activities on the Border

So far, there are few indications of major military movements in the boundary zones between the two countries.

However, in Ethiopia, national TV has displayed completion events of thousands of cadets at multiple army bases.

The head of staff section of the armed forces, Lt Gen Hachalu Sheleme, stated recently in an interview that the army was in a "secure situation" as "numerous of recruits" were joining it, which he said was "a signal to our opponents".

Historical Roots of the Tension

For over fifty years from 1890, Eritrea was administered by Italian rulers.

After the end of Italian rule, it was then administered by the UK forces before becoming a integrated region of Ethiopia.

However in 1962 Emperor Haile Selassie I terminated this arrangement and the region became completely integrated into the Ethiopian state.

A thirty-year armed struggle followed, concluding with the government's loss in 1991. Sovereignty was then endorsed by voters in a referendum in 1993.

For a few years in the 1990s, there were positive ties between the governments in Addis Ababa and Asmara, but they disagreed over the precise positioning of their common border, leading to hostilities in 1998.

Even though this concluded in a truce in 2000, it was never fully implemented, and the neighbors remained at odds.

This situation improved in 2018, when Abiy made approaches to Eritrean President President Isaias. The both leaders agreed to a announcement that the hostilities was finished – a decision that won Abiy the international recognition.

The two governments were then partners in the country's recent civil war in Tigray.

Yet diplomatic connections have since broken down again.