On Wednesday, Ethiopia and Eritrea resumed commercial airline flights for the first time in two decades, marking the latest phase in a whirlwind peace process between the former foes. Ethiopian Airlines said Flight ET0312 had arrived in the Eritrean capital Asmara after a one-and-a-half hour flight from Addis Ababa — the latest sign of a thaw between the neighbouring countries that began just six weeks ago. “The bird of peace has just flown to Asmara,” the airline wrote on Twitter shortly after take-off from Bole International Airport. “This day marks a unique event in the history of Ethiopia and Eritrea,” the airline’s CEO Tewolde GebreMariam said at a ceremony inaugurating the historic flight. Overwhelming demand saw the African aviation giant operate two flights within 15 minutes of each other. “The fact that we are taking two flights at a time shows the eagerness of the people,” said Tewolde. An AFP journalist onboard the second flight said champagne was served to passengers in all classes, who toasted each other and posed for selfies shortly before take-off. Smiling flight attendants also handed out roses to the passengers. Ethiopian Airlines, one of Africa’s fastest growing carriers, has said it would initially operate a once-a-day return flight between Addis Ababa and Asmara. “With the demand we are witnessing, I think we’re going to increase the frequency to twice a day, thrice a day and even more,” said Tewolde, adding that the opening of the Eritrean airspace to Ethiopian Airlines would also mean more efficient routes to the Middle East. Among the passengers on the first flight was former prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn, whose shock resignation in February was the first step in a series of shake ups in Ethiopian politics and the Horn of Africa at large. “I knew one day it would happen,” he said of the peace with Eritrea. Hailemariam was succeeded in April by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, a former army officer and cabinet minister described by analysts as a “man in an extreme hurry”. After announcing the liberalisation of parts of the Ethiopian economy and releasing jailed dissidents, Abiy last month declared his intention to make peace with Eritrea after two decades of frozen relations. Eritrea was once part of Ethiopia and comprised its entire coastline on the Red Sea until it voted for independence in 1993 after decades of bloody conflict. A row over the demarcation of the shared border triggered a brutal 1998-2000 conflict which left 80,000 people dead before evolving into a bitter cold war. Abiy stunned observers with his announcement he would finally accept a 2002 UN-backed border demarcation. However he has yet to announce a pull out of troops. He then paid a historic visit to Eritrea, during which he and President Isaias Afwerki declared an official end to the war. Afwerki reciprocated with a state visit to Ethiopia just days later. The emotion-filled reunion has been welcomed by Ethiopians, who share strong cultural ties with Eritreans, many of whom were completely cut off from family during the long years of enmity. On Monday, Afwerki reopened Eritrea’s embassy in Addis Ababa. The rapprochement is expected to provide an economic boost to both nations, offering booming Ethiopia — which currently channels its trade through Djiboutian ports — access to Eritrean shores. Amnesty International has said the new-found peace should be a catalyst for change in Eritrea, one of the world’s most isolated nations. Since the end of the war, Afwerki has used the threat of Ethiopian aggression to justify repressive policies, including an indefinite national service programme the UN has likened to slavery. AFP]]>
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