Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY
P. 10
A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 16 July 2018
Eritrean, Ethiopian leaders call new peace example to Africa
By ELIAS MESERET that demanded wider free-
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) doms in Africa's second
— Official rivals just weeks most populous country with
ago, the leaders of Ethio- more than 100 million peo-
pia and Eritrea embraced ple.
warmly to the roar of a Now attention shifts to Er-
crowd of thousands Sun- itrea, one of the world's
day at a concert celebrat- most reclusive nations,
ing the end of a long state which has been ruled by
of war. Isaias since it gained inde-
A visibly moved Eritrean pendence from Ethiopia in
President Isaias Afwerki, 1993. The state of war with
clasping his hands over Ethiopia kept the country
his heart, addressed the of 5 million in a constant
crowd in Ethiopia's official state of military readiness
language, Amharic, on his with a system of compul-
first visit to the country in 22 sory conscription that sent
years. thousands of people flee-
"Hate, discrimination and ing the country toward Eu-
conspiracy is now over," Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki is welcomed by Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, at Addis rope and elsewhere.
the 72-year-old Isaias said Ababa International Airport, Ethiopia, Saturday, July 14, 2018. Eritrea also has faced years
to cheers and people Associated Press of U.N. sanctions over al-
chanting his name. "Our fo- leged support to extremists,
cus from now on should be to move forward with you now. Now is the time to Isaias arrived in Ethiopia which the government has
on developing and grow- as one. No one can steal make up for the lost times." on Saturday, reciprocat- denied, and Abiy already
ing together. We are ready the love we have regained The Eritrean leader repeat- ing the Ethiopian leader's has called for them to be
edly praised the "able trip to Eritrea last weekend lifted.
leadership" of Ethiopia's that led to the restoration The sight of the Eritrean
reformist new Prime Minis- of diplomatic, telephone leader speaking Amharic
ter Abiy Ahmed, who in his and transport ties. He was to reach out to Ethiopians
own speech thanked Isaias greeted by Abiy in a red- surprised even his longtime
for his "courageous ges- carpet welcome, with peo- acquaintances. "I have
ture" in accepting the offer ple dancing at the airport known him for more than 40
of peace. and thousands of residents yrs. Never heard him speak
The concert highlighted the of the capital, Addis Aba- Amharic," the Eritrean am-
end of hostilities between ba, lining the streets to see bassador to Kenya and
the arch-foes in East Africa, Isaias' motorcade. Tanzania, Beyene Russom,
who fought a bloody bor- Some chanted songs criti- said on Twitter, describing
der war from 1998 to 2000 cizing the Tigray Peoples the crowd's shouts of joy.
that killed tens of thousands Liberation Front, which was The United States and oth-
and left families separated. Ethiopian ruling coalition's ers have praised the end of
The antagonism ended strongest political party the state of war between
last month when Abiy an- and hostile to Eritrea un- the countries as a welcome
nounced that Ethiopia was til Abiy came to power at development for the stra-
fully accepting a peace the beginning of April and tegic Horn of Africa region
deal originally signed in introduced a breathtaking and beyond.
2000 and Eritrea swiftly re- series of political and eco- Ethiopia's leader has been
sponded. nomic reforms. quick to promote econom-
"The reconciliation we are "Nothing can stop the on- ic development as a shared
forging now is an example going reforms in Ethiopia," goal of the new friendship,
to people across Africa Abiy told the crowd Sun- giving Isaias a tour of an in-
and beyond," the 42-year- day. "But we need to pro- dustrial park and pursuing
old Abiy said. tect the democratic rights deals for his landlocked na-
Jubilant Ethiopians, some of we are regaining now." tion to use Eritrea's ports on
whom have compared the The embrace of the peace the Red Sea along one of
dramatic developments to deal, which hands key dis- the world's busiest shipping
the fall of the Berlin Wall, puted border areas to Er- lanes.The Eritrean leader's
found themselves putting itrea, was the boldest of visit to Ethiopia continues
aside the World Cup final the changes as Ethiopia Monday as Isaias is expect-
to watch live coverage of moves away from years of ed to re-open his country's
the concert. anti-government protests embassy.q
