UAE supports peace agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea

The United Arab Emirates affirmed its support for a peace agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea on Tuesday, saying their ‘bold and historic’ rapprochement would enhance prospects for peace and prosperity in the region.

The long-time rivals signed an agreement earlier this month to restore ties, ending two decades of hostility since conflict erupted in 1998.

The UAE played a role in bringing the two sides together, the government said last week, without disclosing the extent of its involvement.

The UAE, along with other Gulf Arab states, has taken an increasingly active role in the Horn of Africa and has set up military bases and commercial ports in several countries there.

Photos: Ethiopia-Eritrea leaders meet in UAE, awarded for peace dealAbu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan said after meeting Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki that their agreement would enhance security in the Horn of Africa and wider region.

“We are confident that this step will contribute to further cooperation & joint coordination between the neighbours & fulfil their people’s aspirations for peace, development & prosperity …” he said in a post on Twitter following the meeting in the UAE capital.

“The bold & historic step taken by the leaders of the two neighbouring countries to end the conflict and open new horizons for cooperation and joint coordination is a model that can be followed in resolving conflicts around the world.”

Triggered by a border dispute in 1998, the conflict killed more than 80,000 people. At least 350,000 people living along the border on both sides were uprooted and forced to flee.

REUTERS