The reopening on Monday (July 16th) of the Eritrean embassy in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, came to close the three-day official visit of the Eritrean president to Ethiopia.

A further sign in the normalization of relations between the two countries, after two decades of conflict.

It had been 20 years since the Eritrean embassy in Ethiopia was closed. The reopening ceremony was attended by Eritrean Head of State Issayas Afewerki and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Hamed on Monday.

The air link between the two countries will take place on Wednesday.

A strong symbol, the Eritrean flag was hoisted by Eritrean President and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Symbolic image also where the President of Eritrea receives the keys of the building, located in the center of the Ethiopian capital, from the Prime Minister of Ethiopia.

A strong image that completes the three-day official visit of Issayas Afewerki to Ethiopia.

Three days that sealed the reconciliation between the two countries after the signing, on 9 July, of a “joint declaration of peace and cooperation”.

“The time of hate is over”

A concert in honour of Issayas Afewerki was even organized yesterday in Addis Ababa. The Eritrean head of state was applauded as a rock star by the crowd.

The public came in large numbers at the concert given in honour of Issayas Afewerki in Addis Ababa.

The occasion for him to pronounce a few words in Amharic, the majority language in the Ethiopian capital. “The time of hate is over,” he said, “all our attention must now be devoted to common development. We must make up for lost time.”

“The reconciliation we are implementing is an example for all Africans and the world” said Abiy Hamed, Prime Minister of Ethiopia.

In Addis Ababa, Eritrea and Ethiopia show reconciliation