Families reunited by planes of peace

ASMARA, Eritrea - The first commercial flight from Ethiopia to Eritrea in 20 years landed safely in Asmara on Wednesday and was greeted by dancers waving flags and flowers, cementing a stunning rapprochement that has ended a generation of hostility in a matter of days.

As Ethiopian Airways Flight ET 0312 made the momentous switch from Ethiopian to Eritrean airspace, chief executive Tewolde GebreMariam took to the onboard intercom to remind the 315 passengers they were part of history.

"This is the first time that this is happening in 20 years," he said, to cheers and applause from passengers and crew on the brand-new Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Families separated from loved ones since the start of the 1998-2000 border war sat next to dignitaries on the flight, one of two that took off from Ethiopia on Wednesday morning.

Passenger Senait Tesfaye said she had not seen her grandmother Abrehet for more than two decades. Abrehet, she said, was deported to Eritrea alongside tens of thousands of Ethiopian residents of Eritrean origin at the start of the conflict.

"We have been longing to see her for all these years," the 37-year-old said as she cradled her 3-month-old son Naby. "He will now get to spend time with her more than I ever did as a child. Words cannot express the joy we feel as a family."

Other passengers carried flags and wore T-shirts with slogans celebrating the advent of peace.

In Addis Ababa, passengers in all classes were given champagne and fresh roses before the plane, which Ethiopian Airlines dubbed "the bird of peace", soared into the sky.

At cruising altitude, passengers began singing, clapping and embracing each other, with one musician playing a traditional string instrument known as a kirar.

Peace push

The airline marked the departure of the planes, the other a Boeing 737, with a message on its Facebook page: "The bird of peace has just flown to #Asmara #Familyreunion #Ethiopia #Eritrea."

The two 90-minute flights were the icing on the cake of a peace push by new Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, whose three months in office have turned politics in his country - Africa's most populous after Nigeria - and the wider East African region on its head.

Africa's largest trading bloc on Wednesday welcomed an end to border hostilities between the two countries, saying it was a harbinger to cementing regional peace.

Sindiso Ngwenya, outgoing secretary-general of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, said the decision taken by the Ethiopian prime minister to unconditionally accept the ruling by a boundary commission deserves commendation and that the Eritrean president also needed to be applauded for the reciprocal stance he has taken.

Reuters - Xinhua - Afp

(China Daily 07/20/2018 page11)