ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Rwandan President and current chairperson of the African Union (AU), Paul Kagame, on Saturday hailed the lifting by the UN Security Council of the sanctions against Eritrea.
Kagame made the remarks at the opening of the 11th AU extraordinary summit at the headquarters of the Union in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.
The United Nations Security Council last Wednesday adopted a resolution lifting the sanctions imposed on the Horn of African nation since December 2009.
This action will contribute to the ongoing process of normalization in the Horn of Africa sub-region, Kagame has noted.
He has also commended Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia and President Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea for their courageous actions and others for working with the two leaders.
Following the decision of lifting the sanctions, different institutions in Africa, including the AU and the East African bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), have hailed the adoption.
The decision is a further step towards the consolidation of the recent positive developments in the Horn of Africa, marked by an improvement of bilateral relations between the countries of the region, the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, said in a statement on Thursday.
Meanwhile, welcoming the decision, IGAD executive secretary Mahboub Maalim on Friday lauded regional leaders in general, and Eritrea in particular for all the efforts that helped UNSC to lift the sanctions.
Maalim said the historic normalization of the relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea is going to have a very positive ramification in the region in terms of cooperation and also towards peace, security and stability.
