Tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia have resurfaced as communication lines between the two nations have once again been severed.
These neighboring countries, whose relationship has often been strained over the past thirty years, find themselves in renewed conflict.
The two nations fought a brutal war in 1998, which claimed an estimated 80,000 lives.
From 1998 until 2018, communication channels were shut down, Ethiopian Airlines flights were banned from entering Eritrea, and all diplomatic relations were halted.
However, in 2018, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki initiated a period of reconciliation by signing a historic peace agreement.
This deal led to the resumption of phone services, the re-establishment of diplomatic ties, and the resumption of Ethiopian Airlines flights.
Yet, this reconciliation now appears to be unraveling.
Reports have surfaced that communication lines between the two nations have once again been cut, leaving Eritrean citizens unable to reach their relatives in Ethiopia.
Tens of thousands of Eritrean refugees living in Ethiopia are also facing difficulties in maintaining contact with their families.
Tensions escalated further last month when Ethiopian Airlines halted its flights to Asmara following the Eritrean government’s directive to cease its operations within the country.
While diplomatic relations technically remain intact, meaningful diplomatic engagement has dwindled.
The root of these recent strains can be traced back to Eritrea’s involvement in the Ethiopian government’s military campaign against the Tigray fighters.
After the signing of the Pretoria Peace Agreement in November 2022 between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Ethiopian federal government, relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia took a turn for the worse.
Adding to the tension is the Ethiopian government’s stance on gaining access to the sea.
In a controversial speech last year, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declared Ethiopia’s right to secure a path to the coast.
This has been perceived as a direct challenge to Eritrea’s control of the Assab port, a strategic asset that Ethiopia lost after Eritrea’s independence in 1993.