Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Ethiopia Resumes Commercial Flights to Eritrea

by VOA News

   The first commercial flight in 20 years from Ethiopia to Eritrea has
   landed in the Eritrean capital, the latest sign of normalized ties
   between the longtime foes.

   Ethiopian Airlines tweeted a picture of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner taking
   off for the short flight from Addis Ababa to Asmara with the caption
   "The bird of peace has just flown to #Asmara! #Familyreunion #Ethiopia
   #Eritrea"

   Passengers on the flight included former Ethiopian prime minister
   Haliemariam Desalegn, who led the travelers off the plane onto a red
   carpet at the Asmara airport, according to a VOA Horn of Africa
   reporter at the scene.

   The flight is the latest chapter in a new and fast-moving era of
   detente that began when Ethiopia's new reformist prime minister, Abiy
   Ahmed, announced in June that Addis Ababa would finally honor a deal
   signed in 2000 to end a two-year border war that killed an estimated
   70,000 people.

   Earlier this month, Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki signed
   a historic peace deal that formally ended one of Africa's longest, most
   intractable conflicts.

   The two nations have since restored telephone lines, and Eritrea has
   reopened its embassy in Addis Ababa on Monday.

   Eritrea was a former province of Ethiopia until breaking away and
   declaring its independence in 1993.

   Tewelde Tesfagabir contributed to this report.