The Eritrean and Ethiopian leaders have agreed to reopen embassies in each others’ capitals, reconnect phone lines between the countries and allow Ethiopians to use Eritrea’s ports.
Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopia’s reformist prime minister, made the announcement at a state dinner during the first visit by an Ethiopian head of government to Eritrea since the two countries cut off ties after fighting a two-year war from1998-2000, which cost tens of thousands of lives.
Mr Abiy has made striking a peace deal with Eritrea one of his priorities since coming to power in April.
Neither Mr Abiy nor Isaias Afewerki, who has ruled Eritrea with an iron fist since independence from Ethiopia in 1993, gave details about when or how the breakthroughs would be implemented. Fitsum Arega, Mr Abiy’s chief of staff, said the telephone links would be re-established immediately but it was not clear if this had happened.
Mr Afewerki greeted Mr Abiy at Asmara international airport. Their motorcade to Mr Afewerki’s office was cheered by thousands of people lining the streets. Pictures carried on Eritrean state TV showed crowds 10 deep lining the road in from the airport to welcome Mr Abiy.
Yemane Gebremeskel, Eritrea’s information minister, tweeted: “The summit is expected to set the tone for rapid, positive changes on the basis of respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity, equality and mutual interest of both countries.”
Mr Fitsum said on Twitter: “The yearning for peace was palpable and we’ll decidedly move forward for the good of our people.”
Ethiopia refused to accept the terms of the peace deal that ended the conflict, and the two nations have been in a limbo state of “ no war, no peace” since then. But Mr Abiy, who took office in April, has made forging peace with Eritrea one of his priorities.
Last month he said he would accept the terms of the peace deal, which requires Ethiopia to cede land to Eritrea. This was followed by the first high-level visit by Eritrean politicians to Addis Ababa.
Analysts are sceptical that, despite the rapid thawing in relations — widely seen as unimaginable before Mr Abiy took power — lasting peace is imminent.
Rashid Abdi, the Horn of Africa director for the International Crisis Group, a think-tank, said on Twitter: “The road ahead is tough and setbacks inevitable. But the will to peace has never been stronger, especially among young.”
Mr Afewerki has made the unresolved conflict with Ethiopia one of the main justifications for turning his government into one of the world’s most repressive regimes. The country requires lifetime national service and independent media have been banned. In recent years Eritreans have, proportionally, been one of the largest national groups seeking to emigrate to Europe.
He has yet to say whether his closer ties with Mr Abiy will trigger any change in domestic policy.
Analysts say that in addition to forging peace, Mr Abiy’s overture to Asmara is motivated by a desire to have another access route to the sea for landlocked Ethiopia apart from Djibouti.
Mr Abiy’s peace building with Eritrea is part of a much wider reform agenda that has seen him release political prisoners, open up to opposition groups long-considered terrorist groups and promise to partially privatise some of the government’s most precious state assets, including Ethiopian Airlines and Ethio Telecom.
