In peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea, UAE lends a helping hand

FILE PHOTO: Eritrea's President, Isaias Afwerki receives a key from Ethiopia's Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed during the Inauguration ceremony marking the reopening of the Eritrean Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia July 16, 2018. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri - RC1BBB52EC30/File Photo

ADDIS ABABA/DUBAI (Reuters) - When the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea embraced in Asmara last month, promising to end the two-decade-old state of war between their two countries, it looked like a sudden breakthrough.

But the rapprochement was, in fact, the culmination of a year of back-channel talks, sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.