Eritrea and Ethiopia celebrate a peace agreement, set an example for Africa

By ELIAS MESERET | The Associated Press

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – A few weeks ago, the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea warmly welcomed the roar of a crowd of thousands of people at the same time. 39, a concert celebrating the end of a long state of war.

A visibly emotional Eritrean president, Isaias Afwerki, clasping his hands to his heart, addressed the crowd in the official Ethiopian language, Amharic, during his first visit to the country since years.

"Hate, discrimination and conspiracy are now over," said Isaias, 72, to cheers and people who chanted his name. "Our goal from now on should be to develop and grow together, we are ready to go forward with you, no one can steal the love we have found now. to make up for lost time. "

The Eritrean leader repeatedly hailed the" capable leadership "of the new Ethiopian reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who in his own speech thanked Isaias for his" brave gesture "in accepting L & # 39; offer of peace

The concert highlighted the end of hostilities between the sworn enemies of East Africa, who led a bloody war between 1998 and 2000, killing tens of thousands of people and separating families. The antagonism ended last month when Abiy announced that Ethiopia fully accepted a peace agreement originally signed in 2000 and that Eritrea quickly responded: "Reconciliation that we are creating is an example for the peoples of Africa and elsewhere. " -old Abiy said

Jubilant Ethiopians, some of whom compared dramatic developments to the fall of the Berlin Wall, found themselves putting aside the World Cup final to watch live coverage of the concert.

Isaias arrived in Ethiopia On Saturday, the trip of the Ethiopian leader to Eritrea was reciprocal last weekend, which led to the restoration of diplomatic, telephone and transport relations. He was greeted by Abiy in a red carpet, with people dancing at the airport and thousands of residents of the capital, Addis Ababa, who walked the streets to see the procession of Isaias

which was the strongest political party of the Ethiopian coalition and hostile to Eritrea until Abiy's arrival in power in early April and which introduced a breathtaking series political and economic reforms. "Nothing can stop the ongoing reforms in Ethiopia" crowd Sunday. "But we must protect the democratic rights we are now covering."

The peace agreement, which entrusts Eritrea with controversial border areas, has been the most daring of changes as Ethiopia moves away from the anti-war years. -government. Demonstrations that called for wider freedoms in Africa's second most populous country with over 100 million people.

Eritrea, one of the most reclusive nations in the world, has been led by Isaias since its independence from Ethiopia in 1993. The state of war with the United Ethiopia maintains the country at 5 million in a state of constant military readiness with a mandatory conscription system that has sent thousands of people fleeing the country to Europe and elsewhere.

Eritrea has also been alleged support for extremists, which the government has denied, and Abiy has already called for their lifting.