Ethiopia and Eritrea reopen border post after 20 years
Soldiers and civilians waving Ethiopian and Eritrean flags line the roads
Addis Ababa — The leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea reopened crossing points on their shared border on Tuesday for the first time in 20 years, clearing the way for trade between the former foes after a stunning reconciliation. Thousands of people from both countries watched one ceremony in Zalambessa, an Ethiopian border town that was reduced to rubble soon after hostilities between the neighbours broke out in 1998. Soldiers and civilians waving Ethiopian and Eritrean flags lined the road as Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki opened the frontier in a ceremony broadcast live on Ethiopian television. "This is the happiest day of my life," Ruta Haddis, an Eritrean from nearby Senafe town, told reporters. "I never thought this would take place in my lifetime."
The war over their border and other issues killed about 80,000 people before fighting between Eritrea and Ethiopia ended in 2000 in a contested peace deal. Tensions burned on over the po...
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