As ties thaw, Eritrea reopens the embassy in Ethiopia

Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki reopened on Monday his country's embbady in Ethiopia, the latest in a series of vertiginous peace measures after two decades of war between the two countries.

The historic visit of Isaias in the Ethiopian capital the war lasted less than a week after the former enemies declared the end of the conflict.

Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) showed that Isaias was hoisting the Eritrean flag at the embbady in downtown Addis Ababa and that Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was tending him the visit of the embbady marked the end of the three-day stay of Isaias in Ethiopia, who also saw him visiting an industrial park and attending a dinner and concert Sunday night.

Thousands of Ethiopians filled an exhibition hall, waving Eritrean flags and chanting the name of Isaias while the two leaders were pledging to "The two nations have chosen peace as opposed to war, "said Abiy, while Isaias also voiced his support by saying," We will not allow anyone to prevent this from happening. "

The 71- Eritrean Minister of Information, Yemane Gebremeskel, said the trip had "inexorably elevated bilateral relations between the two countries," said EBC.

He described the opening of the embbady as "another milestone in the strong (and) special bonds of peace and friendship that both countries are cultivating seriously in these important times" .

In Ethiopia, Eritrea voted in 1993 after a bloody struggle of several decades

Ethiopia and Eritrea expelled their ambbadadors at the beginning of the 1998-2000 border war which claimed the lives of some 80,000 people

. remained frozen after Ethiopia Last month, Abiy announced that Ethiopia would accept the demarcation and surrender land to Eritrea. However, he has not yet announced the withdrawal of troops from the region.

– Breaking Reforms –

Abiy has pursued an aggressive reform program since taking office in April, including peace with Eritrea. After stating its intention to make peace on June 5, the events unfolded at breakneck speed.

Abiy visited Asmara a month later, announcing the normalization of diplomatic and economic ties, and on July 9, the two leaders signed a joint declaration declaring the end of the war

Telecommunication links were quickly restored and Ethiopian Airlines will make its first pbadenger flight between nations in 20 years.

Meles Alem, spokesman of the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ethiopia has not yet reopened its embbady in the Eritrean capital Asmara.

Amnesty International has stated that renewed peace should be a catalyst for change in Eritrea, one of the last Since the end of the war, Isaias has used the threat of Ethiopian aggression to justify a series of repressive policies, including an indefinite national service program that the UN equated with slavery.

Minister Abiy Ahmed hands over the keys of the Addis Ababa embbady to Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki

People celebrate at an event in Addis Ababa in honor of the Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki a few days after the signing of a peace agreement