Ethiopia rolls out red carpet for Eritrean president
Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki arrived in Ethiopia yesterday for a historic visit to cement peace, less than a week after the two nations declared an end to a two-decade conflict.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed greeted Mr Isaias at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. The Eritrean president then inspected a guard of honour, at the start of a three-day visit.
The trip comes five days after Mr Abiy left Eritrea as part of a rapid peace process aimed at ending decades of animosity and conflict.
That process began last month when Mr Ahmed agreed to abide by a UN-backed ruling and hand disputed territory back to Eritrea.
“The visit will cement further and add momentum to the joint march for peace and co-operation set in motion by both leaders,” Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel tweeted on Friday.
During the trip the Eritrean embassy will be reopened and Mr Afwerki’s delegation will visit an industrial park, in an itinerary highlighting the restoration of diplomatic and trade ties, Ethiopia’s state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate said.
Three marching bands, traditional dancers and red carpets were rolled out to greet Mr Isaias at the airport. Ethiopians lined the main road to the city, dressed in white shawls and waving palm fronds.
The roads of Addis Ababa were lined with Ethiopian and Eritrean flags, banners and photos of the two leaders, who on Monday signed a declaration marking an end to the war.
The reunion between the countries has allowed residents to speak to each other by phone for the first time in two decades. Direct flights are due to start next week.
Once an Ethiopian province, Eritrea seceded in 1993 after an independence struggle, but a row over the border led to a conflict between 1998 and 2000 that left 80,000 people dead, followed by a cold war.