BCN-23, 24 Ethiopia-Eritrea land borders reopen after 20 years

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ETHIOPIA-ERITREA-BORDER-TRADE

Ethiopia-Eritrea land borders reopen after 20 years

ADDIS ABABA, Sept 12, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Two land border crossings between
Ethiopia and Eritrea were reopened Tuesday for the first time in 20 years,
crowning a rapid reconciliation between the former bitter enemies.

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrea’s President Isaias
Afwerki attended ceremonies at the eastern and western ends of the border,
Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebre Meskel said on Twitter.

Fitsum Arega, Abiy’s chief of staff, said: “Road links between Ethiopia
and Eritrea will be operational, opening the gate for cross border movement
of people and goods.”

On Tuesday — a national holiday to mark the Ethiopian New Year — Abiy
and Isaias, dressed in military fatigues, paid a joint visit to the disputed
eastern border zone that both countries have claimed.

Soldiers lined the red-carpeted road to mark its reopening and crowds
cheered and hugged each other.

The visit was “to celebrate the New Year with members of the Ethiopian and
Eritrean Defence Forces following the full normalisation of the relations
between the two countries,” Abiy’s chief of staff added.

The eastern border post between Bure in Ethiopia and Debay Sima in
Eritrea, and the western border post between Zalambessa and Serha, were among
those closed in 1998 as the neighbouring Horn of Africa nations cut
diplomatic ties at the outbreak of a short but bloody two-year frontier
battle.
An ensuing cold war stymied development and trade, and undermined regional
security, but in a surprise move earlier this year, Abiy began peace
overtures, which were welcomed by Eritrea.

Key to this was Abiy’s acceptance in June of a UN-backed court ruling in
2002 demarcating the contested border and handing back some occupied
territory to Eritrea, including the disputed town of Badme.

At Zalambessa, soldiers manning the crossing on a rough road that cuts
through the shared no man’s land together dismantled piles of sandbags while
a red carpet was rolled over potholes and flags were raised for the border’s
ceremonial reopening.
A live broadcast on Ethiopian state television showed a large cheering
crowd celebrating the reopening of the road with soldiers and civilians from
both countries dancing together and greeting one another.
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ETHIOPIA-ERITREA-BORDER-TRADE 2 LAST ADDIS ABABA

– Symbolism and trade –

Neither leader spoke at the event, which was instead addressed by
Debretsion Gebremichael, president of the Tigray region on the Ethiopian side
of the border.

“By partnering in place of disintegration, by helping each other at the
expense of sabotaging each other, we can move forward,” he said.

“The bell for peace and development has rung waiting for us to be a model
of peace, brotherhood and partnership in the coming years.”

The once-bustling commercial town, on what was the main highway between
Addis Ababa and Asmara, was all but levelled during the 1998-2000 border war
that killed about 80,000 people. Despite being rebuilt, Zalambessa was
rendered a ghost town by the closing of the border.

The reopening of crossings is about more than symbolism.

Booming but landlocked Ethiopia is eager to secure access to Eritrea’s Red
Sea coast for its imports and exports, while Eritrea’s stunted economy will
benefit from increasing regional commerce.

The route through Bure-Debay Sima leads to the port at Assab, while the
road via Zalambessa-Serha reaches Massawa on the Red Sea coast.

Tuesday’s ceremonies were just the latest steps in a rapid diplomatic thaw
that has seen Ethiopia and Eritrea restore air links, telephone lines and
trade routes, and re-establish diplomatic missions.

Once a province of Ethiopia, Eritrea fought a long independence war,
eventually seceding in 1993, but five years later conflict broke out again.

Hardliners on both sides — including Isaias, Eritrea’s first and only
president — ensured that neither side backed down over the border dispute.

Each nation has supported the other’s rebels and the long cold war
periodically erupted in fighting.

Isaias used the threat of attacks by its much larger southern neighbour to
institute a from of perpetual national service that the UN has compared to
slavery.

Repression at home drove Eritreans to flee, many of them making the long
and perilous journey to Europe.

BSS/AFP/HR/1015