"It's a historic day for all of us": President of Eritrea visits Ethiopia amid a thaw between his former rivals

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA – The long-time president of Eritrea arrived in Ethiopia for a first visit in 22 years on Saturday, during a spectacular diplomatic thaw between rivals of the United States. ;time.

"It is a historic day for everyone of us," said President Isaias Afwerki. Anyone who thinks that Eritreans and Ethiopians are separated is now considered naive.

Thousands of people traveled to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, under heavy surveillance to greet Isaias, whose three-day visit is the latest in ending a long-running state of war. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed made a similar visit to the Eritrean capital last weekend, greeted by Isaias with cuddles and laughter

. Abiy, 42, broke the ice last month by fully accepting a peace deal that ended a 1998-2000 border war that left tens of thousands of people dead and families separated. A series of diplomatic breakthroughs ensued quickly as one of Africa's longest-running conflicts drew to a close.

An emotional Abiyi Saturday congratulated the people of the capital for their warm welcome by the Eritrean president, with their songs "Isaias! Isaias!" And waving flags.

"I am very moved right now, I have no words to express how proud I am," said Abiy at a luncheon at the National Palace

"Thanks for the sincere love you have shown us all, "said Isaias in return.The Eritrean leader also received" a surprise gift "from a horse, shield and a launched by one of Ethiopia's regional leaders, said Abiy's chief of staff.The international community, including the United States, welcomed the meeting as a welcome evolution in a key, and often unstable, region along one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.in front of the Arabian Peninsula.

The former embbady of Eritrea in Addis Ababa has undergone a rapid renovation and is expected to open during the Isaias visit.The two leaders should also attend Sunday at a conc ert about 25,000 people representing local artists.

Ethiopians lined the streets for a glimpse of the procession of Isaias sang songs that criticized the Tigray People's Liberation Front. the first political party of the ruling coalition and hostile to Eritrea until the new prime minister came to power in April and embarked on a wave of breathtaking reforms in the second nation the most populous of Africa

. The country of 5 million people perched on the Red Sea has been ruled by Isaias since its independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after years of rebel war.

While the two countries share close cultural ties, the border war and the refusal of Ethiopia's Isaias, 72, used disputed border areas to keep Eritrea in a state of military readiness , with a compulsory conscription system that drove thousands of Eritreans to flee to Europe, Israel and other countries.

Social media said Saturday that a "dictator" like Isaias should not receive such a warm welcome.

Observers now wonder if the end of the fighting with Ethiopia will lead Eritrea, long criticized by human rights groups, to

Trade is a Another center of interest is Ethiopia, a landlocked country, seeking outlets for its rapidly growing economy and has already signed agreements to utilize the port facilities of Eritrea. [f. si f (f.fbq) return; n = f.fbq = fonction () {n.callMethod?
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