The War

---

has converted A peace Treaty between the neighbours Ethiopia and Eritrea end two decades of tensions, The Border areas, reports The Bbc 's Rob Wilson .

was Sitting in a ground floor apartment in The Town of Adigrat, Northern Ethiopia, Zefer Sultan is that she's plaited her hair ready for The Baptism of their first child.

playing on the TV in The Corner of The Room is their wedding video from a year ago, which will keep you entertained.

"was Our wedding almost at the same time, as The Border was opened. It was a double joy," she explains.

A priest officiates at The Baptism , which takes place in a cliff top Church

the end of 2018, a time of jubilation for many living in the vicinity of the Ethiopia-Eritrea Border .

A new peace agreement between previously warring countries had agreed to, and the movement across The Border , allowed, for the First Time in 20 years.

families had been separated, for This Time were reunited, and events such as Zefer wedding to celebrate your friends and relatives together again.

"Well, I hope that our son's baptism are also still better. I hope that many families will come in from both Eritrea and Ethiopia," Zefer adds.

celebrations broke out on the Ethiopia-Eritrea Border , if it opens up again in 2018

The Ceremony will take place Zalambessa, where the families of Zefer and Her Husband Zeray come. It is located only on the Ethiopian side of The Border .

The City saw heavy fighting during the 1998-2000 war and suffered from the economic stagnation for The Following 18 years, The Border was closed and heavily militarized on both sides.

Everyone in The City has a history of separation.

'We had to watch The Funeral from afar,'

there are Important family events such as baptisms and weddings were missed by many. In some cases, The People were not to adopt the position to their love, as they were taking their last Breaths .

Photographer Abrahaley brought Mariam remembers, when he was not able to go to his grandmother funeral

Abrahaley brought Mariam, a local Ethiopian Photographer , was not able to reach his ailing grandmother in Eritrea .

"We had to watch The Funeral and remembrance services, all from a distance, we had no other choice than to mourn their death from here," he says, pointing from her village just across The Border .

"But we were with her in spirit. "

Abrahaley was able to cross The Border twice since 2018 to celebrate religious festivals and His Family to visit.

"I Am The Flesh and blood of The People ," he says.

This feeling seeps through The Border country.

It would be easy to imagine that there could be animosity between Ethiopians and Eritreans in the area, were killed as many as 100,000 people during The Conflict , and many more were driven from their homes.

Gebrehiwet Kahsay (L) makes the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea for the problems between the Two Countries

But The Social and cultural bonds are deep, and endured the forced separation after The War .

Gebrehiwet Kahsay, explains a grandfather of Zefer new-born babies, why.

"The People were not In Conflict , The Problem was the leader," he says.

"The People who never betrayed each other. "

Borders Open And Then close

Zalambessa to go through a transformation, when the checkpoints opened in the year 2018. Unrestricted movement brought about a business boom, as Commerce and travel are multiplied. Local businesses reap the benefits.

"It is a busy commercial hub with hundreds of vehicles was traveling back and forth. Peace and reconciliation, enabled me to Work in both countries as a camera man," Abrahaley reminds.

But only a few months after The Border opened, the official checkpoints began to close, Once Again .

No official reason was because at The Time , and almost all of the checkpoints are still closed to all trade and transport.

While Ethiopia and Eritrea both say they will try to resolve The Situation , no formal agreement was reached.

Nevertheless, there is a fundamental and permanent change. The Border itself has been demilitarized and is not guarded, as it was before, so informal movement to foot in a manner inconceivable even two years ago.

you may also be interested in:

The busy Saturday market in Zalambessa is a place where this is obvious.

It was a new life, since The Peace , when Eritreans came to buy goods.

And now, while vehicles are restricted at the checkpoint, the Shopper, on foot, carrying what they can in their arms.

For an Eritrean woman this tie meant a large wooden table to your back and Hiking Three Hours to get home. But it was are not depressed.

Before The Border opened, she says, she had to travel five hours to the nearest market in Eritrea

Cross-Border contraception

At the Zalambessa health center, to Open The Border , saw an increase in visitors from Eritrea to receive benefits.

While the numbers are like, because The Border was closed, some still make the difficult journey to walk.

Everyone who comes to The Clinic to be treated the same.

"We have no reasons to Eritrean-differently than we Ethiopians do. We provide medical care for anyone in The First place, because they are people," says the Deputy Director Dr. Samrawit Berhane.

the patients, the staff have to say, that in many cases, it is closer than the nearest clinic in Eritrea , and some say they get a better treatment.

Samrawit said they have also noticed A Number of women come in specifically for Family Planning and contraceptives.

Getty image Ethiopia-Eritrea conflict

Beganin 1998 about the exact location of the common Border

dozens of thousand killed in The Conflict

Algiers peace deal agreed in the year 2000, But never fully implemented.

Abiy Ahmed became Ethiopia' s Prime Minister in 2018

Pledgedto restore peaceful relations between the neighbors.

Eritrea ' s President Isaias Afwerki and Mr. Abiy declared war In July , 2018

source: BBC

they say that in Eritrea , your men must grant permission for such services, and collections of contraceptives made together need to be.

"Many women tell us they prefer to come here, so that you can avoid these restrictions," says Samrawit.

'We Are brothers and inseparable,'

As you drive North in the direction of Zalambessa, the wide and stony landscape is breathtaking. But just as striking is the amount of construction Work is in progress.

Peppered along the street are half-finished houses and apartment blocks, large piles of gravel and sand, wooden scaffolding, up to the Sky .

to invest When The Border opened in the year 2018, entrepreneurs came from all parts of the country, along The Road .

entrepreneurs Fisehaye Hailu wants to build a hotel, to mark The Peace between the Two Countries

Among them Fisehaye Hailu was self-aware and just out Eritrean man who left his country after he was arrested, as she is a political prisoner for 13 years. He has The Look of A Man Who Knows a hard day's Work .

"It felt like things had brightened the night and I didn \ 'T waste any time before buying a plot of land," he says.

Fisehaye white Zalambessa well, having been born just across The Border .

the Work is in progress on The Hotel

Now, his business venture is a three-storey hotel in The City .

"to be when it is finished, you will be the name of my hotel is an expression of my desire for the Two People together. So I plan to give it a name, The Two Brothers "The Hotel ," he explains.

"is It to say, We Are brothers and We Are inseparable. "

The christening ceremony

the day of the Zefer son with The Baptism begins at 03:00 as you make your way up to the cliff-top Church overlooking The Border between Ethiopia and Eritrea .

The Ceremony is an elaborate affair

As The Ceremony , relatives from both sides of The Border gather at The House belonging to the parents of Her Husband at the bottom of The Hill .

Zeray is committed to the introduction of a guest, especially one of his cousins who came from Massawa in Eritrea , as she did when he married in the year 2018.

"The fact that she has been with me from my wedding, Until Now , she shows love, culture and unity," he says.

Although you don't want to give her name, explains how the 2018 Treaty of peace has changed their lives.

"Before, we had no news of who was dead and who was alive. But now we have learned about our dead, and We Are happy, those who are Still Alive ," she says.

"It's a massive difference. It's like the difference between heaven and earth. "

Zefer Sultan hopes that The Border will Open transitions again soon, so that progress can be made

ethiopia and eritrea peace agreement, eritrea, ethiopia

Source of news: bbc.com