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“I am greatly encouraged by this momentous treaty which carries with it great hope for the communities and families who have, for many years, longed for justice and peace”. With these words, the Reverend Olav Fykse Tviet, general secretary of the World Council of
Churches, expressed the great happiness of the Christian community following this declaration, signed by both Isaias Afwerki, President of Eritrea, and Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, on 9 July in Asmara. The treaty marks the end of the state of war that has existed between these two nations and
re-establishes diplomatic and commercial relationships. “While we look upon
this moment of peace with great joy, we also pause to weep over the lives of tens of thousands of individuals who lost their lives in this conflict. We pray that this peace may exist not only in the headlines but also in the daily lives of these peoples who look forward to a new future. We urge the Churches to work
out the reality of the peace process”.
Archbishop Luigi Biano, Apostolic Nuncio in Ethiopia and Djibouti and Apostolic Delegate
in Somalia, noted that “Christian communities continue to pray for positive developments in the relations between these two nations, and [pray] that in the Churches, new opportunities will emerge for cooperation and sharing for the well-being of the faithful and in service to the peoples.” This marks the beginning
of a “new age of peace and friendship”, sanctioned by the governments in Addis
Ababa and Asmara.
