Can diplomacy resolve longstanding Ethiopia-Eritrea differences?

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported that the United States is urging dialogue as tensions rise again between Ethiopia and Eritrea, two neighbours with a long history of border and political disputes in the Horn of Africa. The program said the countries are once more close to open conflict, with unresolved territorial questions remaining central to the standoff.

According to the broadcaster, the roots of the rivalry stretch back to Eritrea’s independence in 1993, followed by a bitter war from 1998 to 2000. Although a later truce left the countries formally at peace for years, relations stayed strained. Al Jazeera said the 2018 Jeddah accord helped ease the dispute, but did not remove the underlying mistrust.

The report also highlighted mutual accusations. Ethiopia says Eritrea has backed rebels in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, while Eritrea accuses landlocked Ethiopia of seeking access to a Red Sea port that Asmara considers strategically important. The discussion focused on whether diplomacy can reduce the risk of escalation.

The issue matters beyond the bilateral dispute because renewed conflict could destabilize an already fragile part of East Africa. Al Jazeera’s program included commentary from analysts on the Horn of Africa, reflecting wider concern about regional security and the limits of past peace efforts.