The 1,033-kilometer border between Eritrea and Ethiopia is one of the most politically charged frontiers in Africa. For two decades after a devastating war from 1998 to 2000, it was a sealed and heavily militarized frontline, a symbol of the “no war, no peace” stalemate between the two nations.
In a stunning turn of events in 2018, a new peace agreement led to the euphoric reopening of major border crossings, including the key posts at Zalambessa and Rama. For a brief period, families were reunited and commerce flowed for the first time in a generation, creating a wave of optimism.
However, the hope was short-lived. Within months, the crossings were closed again by the Eritrean authorities, and the border has remained firmly shut to all traffic ever since. The subsequent war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, which involved Eritrean forces and was fought along the border, has only deepened the division.
For you as a traveler, there is no way to cross the land border between Eritrea and Ethiopia. It is completely sealed. Despite the formal end of the war, the frontier remains a tense and inaccessible military zone. Any overland travel plans between the two countries are not possible.