Shares, ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, Sept 11 – The land border between Ethiopia and Eritrea is to reopen Tuesday allowing citizens of both countries to cross over for the first time in two decades. Key to this was Abiy’s acceptance in June of a UN-backed court ruling in 2002 demarcating the contested border. On Tuesday – a national holiday to mark Ethiopian New Year – Abiy and Isaias paid a joint visit to Bure, a disputed eastern border zone that both countries have claimed. The once-bustling commercial town was badly damaged during the 1998-2000 border war, that killed around 80,000 people, and despite being rebuilt was rendered a ghost town by the closing of the border. The reopening of border posts is the latest step in a rapid diplomatic thaw that has seen Ethiopia and Eritrea restore air links, telephone lines and trade routes, and re-establish diplomatic missions.

Source: Ethiopian News September 11, 2018 09:00 UTC