Eritrea and peace with Ethiopia: four questions – International – World

The leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea are expected to meet soon to discuss the revival of relations that have been frozen for decades.

Analysts believe that ending their dispute could transform Eritrea, whose policies were dictated by the stalemate with its neighbor.

Here are four things to know about why the quarrel is so important to Eritrea. remodel the country

1) Eritrea supports – and a United Nations-backed delimitation commission agreed in 2002 – that Ethiopia illegally occupies land along the border between the two countries belonging to the country. at Eritrea

. Ethiopia's border with Eritrea, a former Ethiopian province, went to war between 1998 and 2000 in a conflict that claimed about 80,000 lives.

Since the end of the Algiers accord in 2000, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki has been using Ethiopia. the rejection of the subsequent border decision to justify a host of repressive national policies.

These include the imprisonment of journalists and dissidents, the refusal to implement the constitution and the management of an indefinite army. "The country was put on hold for 20 years and everything revolved around [the border dispute]," says Abraham Zere, an exiled journalist and executive director of the Organization of Literature and Rights, PEN Eritrea.

2) The new Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took the first step in June announcing that Ethiopia would withdraw from the city of Badme and other disputed border territories, in accordance with the 2002 decision

Eritrea sent two senior officials "I think it's fair to say that Eritrean leaders are engaged in a political rapprochement," says Michael Woldemariam, of Boston University , Frederick S.

Ethiopia has not yet withdrawn from the disputed areas, but this will respond to a long-standing Eritrean claim.

Abraham says that the offer was it is good for Isaias to refuse, though, by removing the Ethiopian threat, he is likely to increase the domestic pressure for reform.

"He is probably aware that this is the only way out.The peace proposal and the commitment on both sides are not an option, but a necessity," says Abraham.

3) Eritrea and Ethiopia are among the poorest nations in Africa

Analysts estimate that normalization of relations would benefit both countries

Eritrean industries could serve markets in Africa full growth of its much larger and more populous southern neighbor.

"Eritrea will gain a lot, According to Marc Lavergne of the National Center for Scientific Research of Paris, Woldemariam believes that the settlement of the dispute with the l & # 39; 39; Ethiopia could also encourage foreign investors to consider Eritrea as free to incur the responsibility of Addis Ababa. The anger of Ababa.

"It is likely that improved relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea will further strengthen the rehabilitation of the Eritrean state on the international scene," he adds. Peace could also help solve the problem of access to the sea in Ethiopia: Eritrea, which included the entire Ethiopian coast, seceded in 1993.

The outbreak of war five years later interrupted the flow of Ethiopian goods through the Red Sea ports in Eritrea, but trade and transport could restart if the two countries reconcile.

"The Port of Massawa will be stimulated and will become one of the alternative ports for Ethiopia". However, analysts believe that changes in US and Gulf policy toward both countries and their dispute may have helped accelerate the thaw.

Eritrea has long accused the United States of taking sides, accusing Washington of not having pushed Ethiopia to abide by the border decision, and to have supported the sanctions of the Security Council against her.

Woldemariam The United States may have decided that it was time to find a new ally after Djibouti, a neighbor of Ethiopia and Eritrea who also hosts US troops allowed the Chinese to open a military base on his land. "The United States has some interest in normalizing relations with Eritrea," says Woldemariam.

Eritrea has also strengthened its links with Saudi Arabia in recent years. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, reportedly opened a military base at the port of Assab, in southern Eritrea.

The two allies of Ethiopia have led some to see the role played by the Gulf behind the scenes.

"These countries have Eritrea on a drip and they certainly have taken part in the Isaias decision to negotiate," says Lavergne.

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