Rising War of Words Between Ethiopian Government and Eritrean Government Triggers Concerns of Military Confrontation
Growing worries exist regarding the potential of warfare among Horn of Africa countries, Ethiopia and the Eritrean government, as hostile rhetoric has escalated in the last month.
What Has Ethiopia Declared?
Ethiopia's, being landlocked, calls for entry to the Red Sea through Eritrea has triggered a intense verbal exchange.
The Ethiopian leader first openly declared in 2023 that his government's maritime access was an existential matter, comments that Eritrean authorities rejected.
Diplomatic connections between the two countries have often been tense. After a prolonged battle for independence, Eritrea, which has a long maritime frontage, officially seceded from Ethiopia in the early 1990s, rendering it landlocked.
Subsequently, a military clash started in which more than 100,000 people were killed.
Latest Statements from Ethiopian Leadership
Abiy and military leader Field Marshal Birhanu Jula have directly stated sovereignty of Eritrea's maritime facility of Assab β some 60 km from the boundary - and implied the desire to seize it militarily.
On 1 September, Abiy said Ethiopia's "error" of being denied passage to the sea as a because 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 "usingζ¦ε".
Eritrean Response to the Threats
Despite ongoing threats from Ethiopia, Asmara's position has been confined to short statements on social media from Communications Head Yemane Gebremeskel.
The minister has dismissed Ethiopian requests for maritime entry labeling it "hazardous" and a "toxic agenda" of "territorial claims" β a approach of retaking former lands.
Government spokespeople cautioned on 16 September that attempts to legitimise "obvious provocation" would have significant repercussions for the Ethiopian government and its regional partners and is a "limit that should not be crossed|violated|breached".
Military Preparations on the Region
Currently, there are no reports of significant troop deployments in the boundary zones between the two countries.
Nevertheless, in Ethiopia, state television has displayed completion events of thousands of cadets at various military training camps.
The head of staff section of the defense force, the officer, recently said in an interview that the defense forces was in a "strong stance" as "numerous of young people" were entering service, which he said was "a warning to our opponents".
Past Roots of the Conflict
For more than half a century from the late 19th century, Eritrea was governed by Italian rulers.
Following the end of Italian rule, it was then administered by the UK forces before evolving into a integrated region of Ethiopia.
But in the early 1960s the ruler cancelled this arrangement and the region became fully incorporated into Ethiopia.
A three-decade long internal conflict ensued, concluding with Ethiopia's defeat in 1991. Autonomy was then confirmed by the population in a referendum in 1993.
For a few years in the 1990s, there were positive ties between the leadership in Addis Ababa and Asmara, but they clashed over the precise positioning of their mutual frontier, leading to war in 1998.
Even though this ended in a truce in 2000, it was partially applied, and the neighbors remained at in dispute.
This changed in 2018, when the Prime Minister made approaches to Eritrea's leader Isaias Afwerki. The two agreed to a announcement that the hostilities was concluded β a action that won the Prime Minister the Nobel Peace Prize.
The both administrations were then cooperators in Ethiopia's 2020-2022 civil war in Tigray.
But relations have since broken down once more.
