Ethiopia and Eritrea restore relations

asmara - After almost twenty years, Ethiopia and Eritrea will restore relations. This was decided by the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the Eritrean President Isaia Afewerki at a joint summit. The countries are rivals that were almost at war.

But according to Ahmed and Afewerki they are now going to reopen the borders, restore telephone traffic, make direct flights between the countries and reopen embassies. In addition, Ethiopia would regain access to the Red Sea via ports in Eritrea, reported the BBC. Ahmed went to the Eritrean capital Asmara for this diplomatic breakthrough Sunday. Afewerki sent a delegation to Addis Abeba last month.

The relaxation is a consequence of a change of course in Addis Ababa. Last month, the Ethiopian regime finally backed a 2000 peace agreement and a border that the Hague Permanent Court of Arbitration recorded two years later. Until recently, this was not recognized by Ethiopia and so the state of war remained. There was fought in the war from 1998 to 2000, which cost tens of thousands of lives. That war broke out five years after Eritrea became independent from Ethiopia.

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