Ethiopia’s prime minister says his country will not seek conflict with longtime rival Eritrea over access to the Red Sea, amid recent fears about possible war between the neighbours.

“Ethiopia does not have any intention of engaging in conflict with Eritrea for the purpose of gaining access to the sea,” Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Thursday, according to a post by his office on X .

Although access to the Red Sea was an existential matter for landlocked Ethiopia, Abiy’s government wanted to address it peacefully via dialogue, he added.

Fears of war emerged in recent weeks after Eritrea ordered a nationwide military mobilisation, according to a human rights group, and Ethiopia deployed troops towards the border, diplomatic sources and officials told the Reuters news agency.

Abiy’s ambitions to gain access to the sea have angered Eritrea, which has accused it of eyeing the port of Assab.

“Eritrea is perplexed by Ethiopia’s misguided and outdated ambitions for maritime access and naval base ‘through diplomacy or military force’,” Eritrea’s Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel said on Tuesday, echoing remarks made by the country’s foreign minister to international diplomats.

In a post on X, Yemane urged the international community “to pressure Ethiopia to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbours”.

He also described Eritrea’s alleged “preparations for war against Ethiopia” as “false accusations”.