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Official rivals a few weeks ago, Ethiopian and Eritrean leaders warmly welcomed the roar of thousands of people Sunday at a concert celebrating the end of a long state of war.
Isaias Afwerki, eminent Eritrean president By clasping his hands on his heart, he addressed the crowd in the official Ethiopian language, Amharic, during his first visit to the country for 22 years [19659002"Hatediscriminationandconspiracyarenowover"saysIsaias72saystotheacclamation"Ourgoalfromnowonshouldbetodevelopandgrowtogetherwearereadytogoaheadwithyounoonecanstealthelovewehaverecoverednowit'stimetocatchuplosttime19659002] 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 the offer of peace.
Hostilities between East Africa's sworn enemies, who waged a bloody border war from 1998 to 2000, which took tens of thousands of casualties and separated the families . The antagonism ended last month when Abiy announced that Ethiopia fully accepted a peace agreement signed in 2000 and that Eritrea responded quickly. AFRICAN INFORMATION BULLETIN
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"The Reconciliation We Are Forging is an Example for People Across Africa and Beyond," says Abiy , 42 years old.
Isaias On Saturday, the Ethiopian president arrived in Ethiopia to visit Eritrea last weekend, which restored diplomatic, telephone and transport relations. Isaias was greeted by Abiy in a red carpet, with people dancing at the airport and thousands of residents of the capital, Addis Ababa, lined the streets to see the procession of Isaias.
Some chants criticizing the Tiger People's Liberation Front, which was the strongest political party in the Ethiopian coalition until Abiy's arrival in power in early April and which introduced a breathtaking series of political and economic reforms.
"Nothing can stop the ongoing reforms in Ethiopia" 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 more than 100 million people.
Economic Development
Eritrea, one of the world's most reclusive nations by Isaias since its independence from Ethiopia in 1993. L & # 39; state of war with Ethiopia keeps 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. 19659002] Eritrea has also been facing years of UN sanctions against alleged support for extremists, which the government has denied, and Abiy has already called for their lifting.
and others welcomed the end of the state of war between the two countries as a welcome development for the Horn of Africa's strategic region and beyond.
The Ethiopian leader quickly promoted economic development as a shared goal of the new friendship, He did visit Isaias in an industrial park and reached agreements for his landlocked country to use the ports of Eritrea on the Red Sea, along one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. The Eritrean leader's visit to Ethiopia continues Monday. opens the embbady of his country.
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