Hope for peace as Ethiopia backs down in Eritrea standoff

Ethiopia's surprise declaration that it will implement a nearly 20-year-old peace agreement with its neighbour Eritrea could spell an end to a long cold war that has damaged both countries, analysts say. Reconciliation, they say, could transform both nations' politics and economies - but it first faces a mighty hurdle of animosity between the two neighbours.
"This is a really important first step," said Dan Connell, a researcher on Eritrea at Boston University.
"We should welcome the announcement with a degree of caution," said Rashid Abdi, Horn of Africa director at the International Crisis Group think tank in Nairobi.
Once a part of Ethiopia, Eritrea fought a three-decade independence war against Addis Ababa. The two then fought again, from 1998-2000 over a disputed border, and tensions have persisted after Ethiopia refused to accept the 2002 ruling of a UN-backed boundary commission that divided up contested territory.
On Tuesday, Ethiopia's new prime minister Abiy Ahmed - a former army officer who fought against Eritrea - declared the country would abide by the accord, handing back the occupied frontier town of Badme.
Eritrea is yet to respond to the announcement while Ethiopia has not said whether its troops have begun their withdrawal from Badme.
Eritrea's president, Isaias Afwerki, has long justified restrictive rule, punishing military conscription and the jailing of dissidents as necessities to defend itself against its much larger neighbour.
His authoritarian leadership has left his country diplomatically isolated and triggered an exodus of Eritreans making the dangerous migration to Europe.
The Ethiopian move, "pushes the ball into Eritrea's court and actually puts pressure on Eritrea," said Abdi.
It could in fact undermine Isaias' rule.
"They've evolved a system of governance [in Eritrea] that has depended almost entirely on a national emergency," said Connell.
Supporters of Eritrea say it was doubly betrayed, by Ethiopia refusing to accept the boundary ruling and the international community - chiefly the US - failing to hold Addis Ababa to account.