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{"id":12010,"date":"2018-09-12T12:16:21","date_gmt":"2018-09-12T10:16:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ethiopianembassy.be\/?p=12010"},"modified":"2018-09-12T12:18:02","modified_gmt":"2018-09-12T10:18:02","slug":"ethiopia-eritrea-border-opens-for-first-time-in-20-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ethiopianembassy.be\/?p=12010","title":{"rendered":"Ethiopia-Eritrea Border Opens for First Time in 20 Years"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Two border crossings between Ethiopia and Eritrea reopened on Tuesday 11 September, strengthening a promise of reconciliation between the countries’ leaders after a border war and 20 years of bitter relations.<\/p>\n

In the presence of their defence forces, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and President Isaias Afwerki opened the frontier at Bure, at the easternmost end of their common border. It was once an area of intense fighting.<\/p>\n

The ceremony coincided with celebrations for the Ethiopian New Year.<\/p>\n

“We heralded the new year by demolishing the trenches along our border,” Abiy told media. “As of today, Ethiopia’s defence forces (along the border with Eritrea) will be gathered to camps and ease the tension that was often extreme. The same will be done from the Eritrean side.”<\/p>\n

Video\u00a0and photos emerged of people embracing, dancing and weeping as flags of both nations flapped in the breeze.<\/p>\n

Some analysts have compared the events to fall of the Berlin Wall. Families that were separated on either side of the border are finally able to reconnect.\u00a0The border reopening will also bring back trade. Bure gives landlocked Ethiopia access to Red Sea ports. The other reopened crossing, in the frontier town of Zalambessa, is northwest of Bure and on a major trade route between the countries.<\/p>\n