MENDING RELATIONS
Ethiopia’s Abiy in Eritrea for historic visit to old foe
Addis Ababa — Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was warmly greeted by Eritrea’s President Isaias Afwerki in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, on Sunday at the start of a meeting to repair relations between the neighbours. Eritrean television showed footage of the two men embracing while Abiy’s chief of staff, Fitsum Arega, tweeted photographs saying, "The visit offers a spectacular opportunity to decidedly move forward peace for the good of our people." In a scene unimaginable just weeks ago, Abiy stepped from an Ethiopian Airlines plane at the airport in Asmara, greeting Isaias and hugging him before the pair strode off along a red carpet. They made no comment before heading to a meeting. "The visit is part of efforts to normalise relations with Eritrea. [Abiy] is expected to talk with the Eritrean leadership [about] how to mend fences," Ethiopian foreign ministry spokesman Meles Alem told AFP. The historic meeting came after Abiy’s announcement in June that Ethiopia would cede to Er...
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