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Eritrea delegation expected in Ethiopia Tuesday: government
ADDIS ABABA, June 26, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – An Eritrean delegation is due to
arrive in the Ethiopian capital on Tuesday, a government official said, in an
historic diplomatic move aimed at ending decades of hostility.
“The Eritrean delegation is arriving not only today, but in a few hours,”
said foreign ministry spokesman Meles Alem.
The sudden thaw in relations between the bitter foes follows an unexpected
olive branch offered by new Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Earlier this month Abiy said he would abide by a 2002 border ruling and
withdraw from contested territory between the two countries.
Eritrea’s President Isaias Afwerki responded last week saying he would
dispatch a delegation, “to gauge current developments directly and in depth
as well as to chart out a plan for continuous future action.”
A former province, Eritrea voted for independence from its much larger
southern neighbour in 1993, but the two countries fought a border war between
1998-2000 that killed around 80,000.
Since then, both have maintained a cold war footing with shots
occasionally fired, and backed each other’s rebels.
The apparent detente has raised hopes of a normalisation of relations that
might boost regional trade and ease tensions.
On Tuesday twinned Eritrean and Ethiopian flags lined the main road to the
airport where a red carpet was laid out and a brass band assembled.
Abiy is expected to greet the Eritreans in person when they land later in
the day.
BSS/AFP/RY/1510 hrs