The border between Ethiopia and Eritrea reopens after 20 years

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Ethiopian Government

Ethiopia and Eritrea reopened after a border war more than 20 years ago.

The leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea attended the reopening in Burre as part of their ongoing rapprochement.

This will enable landlocked Ethiopia to access the port of Assab.

Another border post, near the Ethiopian city of Zalambessa and on the main road linking the two countries, is also expected to reopen.

This follows a peace deal in July that restores diplomatic and trade relations.

The reopening coincides with the Ethiopian New Year, adding to the festive atmosphere.

The war, which focused on the exact location of the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea, began in May 1998 and left tens of thousands dead.

It ended in 2000 with the signing of the agreement of Algiers. But peace was never fully restored as Ethiopia refused to implement a decision made by a border commission created by the agreement.

What is the meaning of reopening?

Families divided by conflict will be able to visit after more than two decades.

Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1991, but members of the same family continued to live on both sides of the border, with the two countries maintaining good relations until 1998.

Yonas Fesseha, a resident of Zalambessa, told the BBC's Tigrinya service that her mother and brother were to meet for the first time in 20 years. Her mother had the impression that it was a dream when she heard the news of the reopening, he said.

There is a party atmosphere in the city, he added.

The crossing to Zalambessa is on the main trade route linking the capital of the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia with Asmara, the capital of Eritrea.

Its closure has harmed trade and, as a result, the economy of the border region has suffered.

What has changed between the two countries?

The reopening of the border is only the latest in a series of rapid changes as relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have thawed.

In July, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki signed a declaration that the state of war between the two countries was over.

Since then, phone calls and flights between the two countries have resumed and last week a ship registered in Ethiopia arrived at an Eritrean port.

The two countries have also reopened their embassies in their respective capitals.

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AFP

What will happen at other border crossings?

For now, only the Zalambessa and Burre crossing points will be reopened. Details of other parts of the 1,000 km (620 mile) border have yet to be settled.

The town of Badme, the flash point of the 1998-2000 conflict, was tried in Eritrea by the border commission created by the Algiers peace agreement.

But until recently, Ethiopia, which still administers Badme, refused to accept that. This changed when the two leaders met, but the city has not yet been delivered to Eritrea.

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Getty Images

What happened to Zalambessa during the war?

The border town was one of the main theaters of the conflict.

During the two years of war, Zalambessa was occupied by Eritrean forces and during the fighting, much of it was destroyed.

But Eritrea has never disputed its membership of Ethiopia and its status is not controversial.

What other changes have occurred in the region?

The rivalry affected the whole region, with each country normally taking opposite positions regardless of the issue.

They took rival sides in the long-running Somali conflict – Eritrea was accused of supporting Islamist groups, while Ethiopia, an ally of the United States, backed the internationally recognized government.

This is changing now and last week Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia signed a cooperation agreement to restore peace and stability in the region.

Eritrea and Djibouti also agreed to normalize their relations after a dispute over their border threatened to break into the war.