No word yet about what the new "peace agreement" might mean for tourists. Realistically, no solid sense of whether these two leaders really mean it, and will continue to mean it next year or next decade. We'll see.
I visited back and forth between Ethiopia and Eritrea during the last "peace agreement" in the mid-90s. At that time, the Eritrea government was considered progressive and proud, having won a long civil war while declining the sort of manipulative Western aid which came with layer after layer of strings attached. Passage across the border was sometimes problematic, but I could travel wherever I wanted, talk to whomever I pleased (and people did talk freely), and enjoyed the widespread sense of optimism among the populace.
All of which is to say that it seems wise to wait before counting chickens. In Eritrea, all that optimism and progressiveness lasted just a couple of years before remarkable, crushing, reactionary oppression took hold. At ground level lots of grievances remain to be resolved, and there's little historical evidence of willingness to do so.
At the same time, a wonderful area of the world, with lots to see, do and contemplate. Here's hoping it works better this round than the last.
Mark
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