Leaders of Ethiopia, Eritrea sign peace accord in Saudi Arabia

UAE welcomed on Sunday the Jeddah Peace Agreement signed by Eritrea and Ethiopia and valued efforts made by King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, in establishing pillars of security, stability and prosperity in the region.

Leaders from Ethiopia and Eritrea signed a "peace agreement" on Sunday during a summit in Saudi Arabia, yet another sign of warming ties between two nations that have face decades of war and unease.

Terms of the agreement signed by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki weren't immediately clear.

Saudi authorities did not respond to specific questions about the accord, which earlier had been described as being a further endorsement of a historic deal reached between the two nations in July.

"The peace deal resulted in restoration of normal relations between the countries, on the basis of the close bonds of geography, history and culture between the two nations and their peoples," Saudi Arabia said in a statement Sunday, calling the accord the "Jiddah Agreement."

"The kingdom of Saudi Arabia praised the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea for exercising leadership and courage to restore the brotherly relations between the two countries, thus forming the foundation for a new phase that will bring significant developments in the relations between the two nations in all fields," the statement added.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz and Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, were on hand for the summit in the Red Sea port city of Jiddah. Also attending was UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs  Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The Ethiopian and Eritrean leaders also were awarded for their efforts the Order of Abdul Aziz Al Saud Medal, the kingdom's highest civilian honor.

Abiy and Isaias signed a "Joint Declaration of Peace and Friendship" on July 9, ending 20 years of enmity and formally restoring diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Landlocked Ethiopia fought a bloody war with Eritrea from 1998 to 2000 over a border dispute that killed tens of thousands of people. The conflict ended in an uneasy peace with Eritrea, which earlier fought a decades-long war of independence from Ethiopia.

Yet that suddenly changed with the election of Abiy as prime minister in April. A whirlwind of talks suddenly ended the long conflict between the two nations in July, with telephone calls and flights suddenly possible between the two nations.

The signing ceremony Sunday in Saudi Arabia also served as a nod to the growing important Gulf countries put on East Africa.

The strategic Bab Mandeb Strait, which sits off Eritrea and neighboring Djibouti, links the Red Sea and the Suez Canal with the Gulf of Aden and ultimately the Indian Ocean. Dozens of commercial ships daily transit the route, some 16-kilometers wide at its narrowest point.

UAE welcomes Jeddah Peace Agreement 

The UAE said the Jeddah Peace Agreement comes within the context of King Salman's policy to strengthen stability in the region through a well-thought out vision that recognises the vital, dynamic connection between the security of the Horn of Africa and that of the Arab World.

Commenting on the landmark peace agreement, was UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs  Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and International Cooperation, said he was proud to attend the signing of this good, historic agreement, which will build bridges between brothers and bring peoples even more closer.

''It gives optimism to generations,'' he stated.

Sheikh Abdullah praised the effective role played by the Saudi leadership, especially King Salman.