The Sudanese President, Omar el-Bashir, has paid a surprise visit to Eritrea in what he said was an attempt to end the frosty relations between the two countries.

Reports from Eritrea say the visit, his first for five years, stunned many Eritreans; they clapped and cheered as he left his motorcade and walked down Asmara's main street with the Eritrean leader, Isayas Afeworki.

Relations between the two countries have recently been steadily improving, and negotiations are underway to open borders and fully restore diplomatic ties, severed since 1995.

The BBC correspondent in Asmara says it's still not clear what impact the improving ties will have on Sudanese opposition groups, who are based in Asmara.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service