Tensions are escalating again between enemies for a long time, Ethiopia and Eritrea about Addis Ababa’s pursuit of marine access, causing fears of another conflict in the sufficient century after seven years of neighbors Restore relations.

In recent months, Eritrea has called for young people to participate in the army, while Ethiopia has deployed forces in the joint border areas. Analysts say these moves can see the two armies face to face in a conflict.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abi Ahmed, In a recent statement about x, It excluded the conflict with Eritrea to reach the Red Sea. Abi, who previously said that reaching the Red Sea is a “existential issue”, confirmed that his country wanted to achieve this “peacefully through dialogue.”

But Eritrea, for its part, struck a more severe tone, and described Ethiopia as “misleading” on the border tensions.

Here is what to know about the historically fraught relationship, and why the tensions are adopted again:

What are the signs of tension between Ethiopia and Eritrea?

There has been the accumulation of hostilities in recent months.

Last September, the Ethiopian Airlines, the country’s national carrier, had to suspend flights to Eritrea after receiving a notice from Asmar and its frozen banking accounts. Airlines officials said that there were no reasons for the ban.

Then, in February, Eritrean Rights Group, Human Rights are interested in Eritrea (HRCE) I mentioned The Eritrean government was issuing the military mobilization directions for citizens under the age of 60, and was calling for reserve soldiers. The group said that the advertisements represent forced recruitment policies in the country -led country.

“This sudden and unprecedented mobilization has sent shock waves across Eritrean society, as the war is supposed to be with neighboring Ethiopia,” Hersus said in her report.

“We call on the United Nations, the African Union, and all governments concerned with intervention and pressure on Eritrean and Ethiopian governments to stop these measures, respect the rights of their citizens, and stop any escalation towards the war.”

Likewise, according to Reuters reports, Ethiopia Forces and tanks published On its northern border with Eritrea early March. Officials did not give any reasons for the accumulation of forces there.

The conflict in the northern region of Ethiopia from Tigray also indicated the escalation of hostilities between neighboring countries. The political conflicts in Tigray, which borders Eritrea, have witnessed the government there, with one faction that is said to ally with Eritrea.

The Tigrai semi -Ottomian region was concentrated civil war This continued from 2020 to 2022, and this created a humanitarian crisis that saw hundreds of thousands killed, and about three million displaced internally. This was the result of the Ethiopian government’s attempts to put out a rebellion by the Tigraian Ruler Party – the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Addis Ababa accused TPLF of trying to control the federal policy in the country, while TPLF saw the central government dominating a lot of power.

Eritrean forces cooperated with the Ethiopian forces during the Tigray War, with all parties accusing him of severe human rights violations. However, when it is a peace deal – Pretoria peace agreement – It was signed in November 2022 between the Ethiopian federal government and the rebel regional government, Eritrea was not invited to negotiations. Some analysts believe that Eritrea officials felt weak, and that this step prompted a wedge between the two governments.

Why did TPLF stormed the factions?

Since then, the fragile peace that has been achieved in Tigray as a temporary TPLF is proven after the war was divided into two factions this year.

The interim TPLF’s defector, under the leadership of Getachew Reda, accuses its failure to support peace deals, such as returning the displaced to their homes, and “selling” Tigrayan interests in its alliance with the federal authorities. In the latest attacks last week, the separation faction, under the leadership of TPLF Debretsion Gebremichael, seized the main Tigrayan cities in Adigrat and Adi-Gudem amid reports on displacement and civil injuries. According to what was reported, the group seized the main radio station in Michael, the regional capital.

The separation faction is also accused of cooperation with Eritrea, although the government in Asmar denies any ties with dissident TPLF members.

In a statement on Wednesday, the temporary TPLF administration requested assistance from the federal government in Addis Ababa, saying, “The region may be on the verge of another crisis.”

These ideas were chanted by General Tasadukan Gibnstenessay, Vice President in Temporary Administration in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, which was recently written in the Africa report, a magazine that focuses on Africa, these ideas.

“At any moment, the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea can erupt,” he wrote.

Why are the relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia historically fragile?

Eritrea was an Italian colony until 1951, when it fell under British control and became an independent part of Ethiopia. In 1962, Ethiopia sought the appendix Eritrea, But the rebel forces, led by leader Issas Afouiri, resisted in an armed conflict and obtained independence in 1993.

In 1998, clashes erupted on the disputed border lands, which led to a two -year war. An estimated 80,000 people were killed, and the conflict was dismantled by the border, as all diplomatic relations and communication between the states – transportation, phone and postal networks were cut off. In 2000, an unbroken peace deal granted the disputed lands to Eritrea, but the deal was never implemented.

When my father became prime minister in 2018, he immediately moved to end tensions and normalize diplomatic relations with Eritrean President Isaias Afferki, who ruled since 1993.

During his historical trip to Asmar decades, Abi said: “We will demolish the wall, and build a bridge between the two countries.”

Soon, communications links have been re -established and many families were collected. The flights also started between the capital of Addis Ababa and Asmara.

However, analysts say Eritrea, after participating in the Tigray War, was not satisfied with its exclusion from peace negotiations. The main TPLF faction and Eritrea remain very hostile to each other, and some reports reveal that Eritrean forces have not completely withdrawn from parts of Tigrey, despite the end of the war. There are speculation that both countries can turn Tigray into a proxy battlefield.

Abi’s ambitions also contributed to the request for direct access to the sea of ​​non -coastal Ethiopia to tensions. Addis Ababa’s arrival was cut off to the port after Eritrea announced independence. Since then, the red port of Djibouti in Djibouti has been the main commercial channel of Ethiopia, but it is expensive – about one billion dollars annually.

In recent years, Abi has repeated that Ethiopia has the right to reach the sea, words carried by officials in Asmar as an advertisement for the regional conflict with Eritrea, which is located on the Red Sea and took Ethiopia with its sea with independence. Some say that my father is looking at the port of ASSAB, one of Eritrea’s perpetrators.

Foreign Minister Othman Saim, this morning, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, gave the headquarters in Asmar, the resident ambassadors/members of the diplomatic corps and heads of the United Nations agencies approved in the country, on false accusations regarding: 1) supposed preparations for Eritrea …

– Yemen G. Meskel 🇪🇷 (@haweti) March 18, 2025

At a press conference last week, Eritrea Foreign Minister Othman Salma, Ethiopia, scolded its speech and denied preparing for the war.

Saleh said: “Eritrea is confused from the misleading and ancient ambitions of Ethiopia for maritime access and naval base through diplomacy or military power.” “In this regard, Eritrea urges the international community and its relevant bodies to pressure Ethiopia to respect the sovereignty and regional integrity of its neighbors.”

Somalia, its neighbor, angered in the east, with these advertisements. After Ethiopia signed a port deal with coastal coastal Somalia, Somalia, which sees Somalland as one of its regions, cut diplomatic ties with Addis Ababa.

It appears to be revenge, and perhaps, Eritrea signed, Eritrea signed a security agreement with Somalia and Egypt last October. Ethiopia It also fell with Egypt On issues related to joint access to the Nile.

What next?

Amid fears of another conflict, the residents of Tigray lined up on banks to withdraw cash, or some hope to leave the region to Addis Ababa or neighboring countries, according to the reports of the Wasli newspaper in the United Kingdom. Government forces are also highly regularly performing identity verification.

Abi, in a post, sought to calm fears. He stressed that Ethiopia will not go to war with Eritrea, but will seek a peaceful dialogue to resolve issues.

“Ethiopia does not have any intention to engage in conflict with Eritrea for the purpose of reaching the sea. Our desire to engage in dialogue and discussion on this is instead. Reaching the Red Sea is an existential issue of Ethiopia. What we are … pic.twitter.com/qodbjgxhye

Prime Minister’s Office – Ethiopia (PMTHIOPIA) March 20, 2025

Abi said on Thursday: “Ethiopia does not have any intention to engage in the conflict with Eritrea for the purpose of reaching the sea.”

Eritrea did not respond to my father’s statement. Earlier, Othman Saleh, the country’s foreign minister, denied allegations of Eritrean forces on the ground in Ethiopia.

This week, he also met Egyptian President Abdel Fata Al -Sisi in Cairo to discuss “Red Sea Security”, where Asmar appears to be scheduled to continue with stronger competitors than Ethiopia.

Meanwhile, the African Union, the European Union and the United States called for the elimination of the escalation of hostilities. Payetton Nubaf and Alexander Rondos, former envoys in the United States and the European Union in the region, the special envoys in the region, the special envoys in the region, the special envoys in the region, wrote that “a dry young waiting for a match that could ignite a war between the states between Ethiopia and Eritrea.”