THERE have been celebrations at the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea as communities from the frontier villages came together for the first time in five years.
Separated by the closed border since the outbreak of the 2020 conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, and subsequent political tensions, Sunday’s coming together was a symbolic moment of peace and reconciliation.
The reunion of families and friends took place in the Ethiopian town of Zalambessa in the presence of village elders and religious leaders.
The move to re-open a section of the border was organised by local activists and community figures without the official backing of the authorities on either side.
But those behind it indicated that they had the blessing from officials in Tigray and Eritrea.
Many at the celebration described it as an emotional and long-overdue gathering.
For five years, relatives and friends whose communities straddled the international boundary had not been able to see each other across the militarised border.
Many in Zalambessa and the nearby villages had suffered economic hardship and social fragmentation during the two-year war in Tigray that ended in November 2022.
People had been forced to flee their homes, with more than 55,000 people now living in makeshift shelters in Adigrat, 30km (19 miles) south of Zalambessa, relying on relatives for survival.
The border has officially remained closed despite the end of the war amid tensions between the two governments.
“Enough of the past, let’s sit at the table of peace and build a better future,” people chanted on Sunday.
