Peace East Africa within reach

The rapprochement between Ethiopia and Eritrea is entering a new phase.

That the two countries are coming closer together is special, because the mutual animosity has been great for decades. Eritrea was once part of Ethiopia and fought for independence. When it was reached after a long and bloody war of independence in 1993, war followed again within five years. The focus was on the status of the city of Badme, formally on Eritrean territory but also claimed by Ethiopia. Peace was signed after two years of struggle, but Badme remained a bone of contention in the years that followed.

The chilly relations began to thaw when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power earlier this year. The reformist minister-president expressed his willingness to fully recognize the 2000 peace treaty, including the allocation of Badme to Eritrea. The improvement of relations since then is so interesting that it is compared in the region with the fall of the Wall in 1989.

In addition to the mutual state visits, more happens to normalize the mutual relationship. The telephone lines between the two countries have been put into operation again and Ethiopian Airlines will be offering flights between Addis Ababa and Asmara as of next week.

Yet the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is still faced with a difficult task. One of the parties from his government coalition has his power base in and around Badme, so it will have to be massaged to make concessions.

Invalid email address. Please fill in again.

Unsubscribe with 1 click