Joyful Ethiopians and Eritreans Embrace at Rare Border Reopening

There have been celebrations at the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea as communities from the frontier villages came together for the first time in five years. Separated by the closed border since the outbreak of the 2020 conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, and subsequent political tensions, Sunday’s coming together was a symbolic moment of peace and reconciliation. The reunion of families and friends took place in the Ethiopian town of Zalambessa in the presence of village elders and religious leaders. The move to re-open a section of the border was organised by local activists and community figures without the official backing of the authorities on either side. But those behind it indicated that they had the blessing from officials in Tigray and Eritrea…For five years, relatives and friends whose communities straddled the international boundary had not been able to see each other across the militarised border…The border has officially remained closed despite the end of the war amid tensions between the two governments…Since Eritrea seceded from Ethiopia more than three decades ago, relations have been tense – the border has been closed for most of that time. It was formally reopened in 2018, shortly after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power and signed a historic peace agreement with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki. The deal earned Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize. While the move initially brought hopes of normalised relations, the eruption of the conflict in Tigray in November 2020 derailed progress. (BBC)