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Eritrean, Ethiopian Leaders Meet for First Time in 18 Years

by Salem Solomon

   WASHINGTON --

   The leaders of Eritrea and Ethiopia embraced at Asmara International
   Airport Sunday, a historic moment in what has long been one of Africa's
   most entrenched conflicts.

   The meeting between Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Ethiopian
   Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed continues a thawing of relations between the
   two countries.

   The summit, in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, is the first time the
   countries' heads of government have met since 2000, when Afwerki and
   former Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi signed the Algiers
   Agreement, formally ending two years of deadly conflict between the
   countries.

   '

   Cold war

   Ethiopia refused to implement the terms of a deal to demarcate the
   countries' shared border two years after the Algiers agreement was
   signed and continued to occupy land awarded to Eritrea by an
   international court.

   That led to a cold war between the East African countries that has
   lasted nearly 20 years, with particularly damaging effects on Eritrea,
   a country a fraction the size of Ethiopia.

   Afwerki has used the border conflict as a reason for strict rule,
   compulsory national service and perpetually deferred elections.

   But Sheila Keetharuth, the [1]United Nation's special rapporteur on
   Eritrea, said these conditions have also led to "arbitrary arrest and
   incommunicado detention, indefinite military/national service amounting
   to forced labor, with a range of violations committed in this context,
   as well as severe restrictions of fundamental freedoms."

   'New leader

   Eritreans and Ethiopians share language, culture and familial ties. But
   Eritrea's 30-year war for independence from Ethiopia, along with the
   border war, have created deep fissures.

   Until recently, the conflict between the countries seemed unsolvable.

   That changed in early June, when Ahmed made the surprise announcement
   that Ethiopia would accept the terms of the Algiers Agreement.

   Previous prime ministers have made similar promises, but Ahmed's
   overture carried special weight. The 41-year-old assumed office in
   April at the height of a political crisis after years of unrest in two
   of Ethiopia's largest regions. He has since enacted many reforms and
   promised a new era of unity and accountability.

   He is also Ethiopia's first prime minister from Oromia, a region far
   removed from the contentious border region and the TPLF political party
   that controlled Ethiopia since Eritrea, a former province, gained
   independence in 1993.

   In late June, Eritrea sent a high-level delegation to Addis Ababa,
   Ethiopia's capital, [2]for several days of talks with Ahmed, setting
   the stage for Sunday's summit.

   'Presidential greeting

   Afwerki, dressed in an olive-colored suit, embraced Ahmed after he came
   down the steps from his Ethiopian Airlines jetliner with his entourage
   and walked across the tarmac. Red carpet had been laid, and a crowd of
   onlookers and a brass band flanked the leaders, who later greeted some
   of those in attendance. Some wore T-shirts adorned with images of the
   two leaders and told Eri TV, the sole state-owned broadcaster, about
   the significance of peace between the countries.

   Afwerki and Ahmed then rode through Asmara, where cheering crowds
   warmly greeted them, on their way to begin formal talks.

   If the nations do find a path toward peace, the impact could be deep
   and far reaching.

   Ethiopia is landlocked, and access to Eritrea's ports could transform
   its economy and strengthen its ability to deliver humanitarian aid.
   [3]Eritrea's economy could also benefit, and long-standing human rights
   concerns could be addressed, observers say.

   Keetharuth, who has reached the end of her six-year mandate, told the
   U.N. that resolving the border conflict would set the stage for peace,
   but true peace for Eritrea [4]would entail much more.

   "The mentality needs to change because up to now it has been a
   mentality, especially, for both sides, preserving where we are in terms
   of borders, preserving our gains in terms of territory and preserving
   other issues."

   Human rights, justice and respect must be achieved for true and lasting
   peace, Keetharuth said.

   Salem Solomon is a multimedia digital journalist with the Voice of
   America's Africa Division. She covers [5]the latest news from across
   the continent, and she also reports and edits in [6]Amharic and
   [7]Tigrigna.

   Salem's multimedia and data-driven projects include [8]Unrest: Ethiopia
   at a Crossroads, [9]Zimbabwe in Transition, [10]Hunger Across Africa
   and [11]How Long Have Africa's Presidents Held Office?

   Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post,
   Poynter.org and Reuters. She researches trends in analytics and digital
   journalism. For tips and inquiries, email: salemsolomon@voanews.com.

References

   1. https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23272&LangID=E
   2. https://www.voanews.com/a/amid-high-hopes-eritrea-and-ethiopia-move-towards-peace/4457041.html
   3. https://www.voanews.com/a/ethiopia-border-stalemate-eritrea/4431118.html
   4. https://news.un.org/en/audio/2018/07/1013862
   5. http://www.voanews.com/author/25229.html
   6. http://amharic.voanews.com/author/25085.html
   7. http://tigrigna.voanews.com/author/25525.html
   8. https://projects.voanews.com/ethiopia-unrest/
   9. https://projects.voanews.com/zimbabwe-in-transition/
  10. http://projects.voanews.com/africa-drought/home.php
  11. http://projects.voanews.com/african-presidents/