After being taken by the fascist government of Benito Mussolini almost 90 years ago, the Italian government has now officially returned Ethiopia’s initial aircraft.
On Tuesday, the Ethiopian prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, celebrated the official transfer of the aircraft, named Tsehay, in honor of Princess Tsehay, daughter of Emperor Haile Selassie.
On X, Abiy expressed his joy for Ethiopians as the Italian Government officially handed over “Tsehay.” He shared pictures of the red two-seater plane on his social media account.
In 1935, while Selassie was in power, a team consisting of German pilot Herr Ludwig Weber and Ethiopian engineers worked together to construct an aircraft. The plane’s first flight took place in December of that year with Weber as the pilot, traveling approximately 30 miles (50km) from Addis Ababa. The flight lasted approximately seven minutes.
Before being deserted in Addis Ababa in May 1936, when Italian troops were nearing the Ethiopian capital, the plane had flown for approximately 30 hours.
Historians state that the plane was seized and transported to Italy after Mussolini’s invasion of Ethiopia, which was called Abyssinia at the time, in 1935. The capital city of Addis Ababa was captured by the fascists in the year that followed.
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The Italian Ministry of Defense referred to the aircraft, which had been housed at the Italian Air Force Museum since 1941, as a “one-of-a-kind specimen.”
Guido Crosetto, the minister of defense, stated that this shipment is a significant symbol of the close relationship between Italy and Africa. He also emphasized the importance of dialogue and international cooperation following the Italy-Africa summit.
On Monday, officials and delegates from 45 African countries, including the leaders of Tunisia, Senegal, Kenya, the Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, and Somalia, gathered in Rome to learn about the “Mattei plan”. This policy was influenced by Enrico Mattei, the founder of Eni, an oil company. In the 1950s, Mattei advocated for Italy to assist African nations in utilizing their natural resources and boosting their economies.
Source: theguardian.com
