Ethiopia PM Celebrates Return of Plane Stolen by Mussolini

Ethiopia’s first ever plane, which was stolen by Benito Mussolini’s fascist regime almost ninety years ago, has officially been returned by the Italian government.

The plane, named Tsehay in honor of the daughter of then Emperor Haile Selassie, was handed back to the Horn of Africa country’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed during a ceremony in Rome. The PM celebrated the return on his social media on Tuesday, January 30th.

Today is a day of great pride for Ethiopians as we celebrate the official handover of “Tsehay” by the Italian Government. I extend my immense gratitude to Prime Minister @GiorgiaMeloni for her support over the past year in facilitating its return.

"Tsehay" is the first aircraft… pic.twitter.com/douDChQnl2

— Abiy Ahmed Ali 🇪🇹 (@AbiyAhmedAli) January 30, 2024

“Today is a day of great pride for Ethiopians as we celebrate the official handover of ‘Tsehay’ by the Italian Government,” Ahmed posted on his X account, accompanied by photographs of the red two-seater plane.

The History of Ethiopia’s First Plane

The plane was built in 1935 during the reign of Selassie in a collaborative setup between the German pilot Herr Ludwig Weber and Ethiopian engineers. In December of 1935, the German aviator piloted the plane for its first flight, covering roughly thirty miles from Addis Ababa. The flight lasted less than ten minutes.

The aircraft was abandoned in Ethiopia’s capital in May 1936, as Mussolini’s military approached the city.

Historians state the aircraft was stolen and taken to Italy after Mussolini occupied Ethiopia, then known as Abyssinia, in 1935. The country’s capital city fell into the hands of the fascists the following year.

Speaking to The Guardian, the Italian Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto said: “This delivery represents a very strong message that, in the aftermath of the Italy-Africa summit, Italy wants to highlight the strong bond between our two countries and wants to emphasize the value of dialogue and the importance of international cooperation.”

According to the London-based paper, the Italian defense ministry described Ethiopia’s plane, which had been stored in the Italian Air Force Museum since 1941, as a “unique specimen.”

Leaders and ambassadors from forty-five African countries, including the presidents of Tunisia, Kenya, Senegal, the Republic of the Congo, Somalia, and Zimbabwe, were in Italy’s capital on Monday to listen to the details of Rome’s Mattei Plan, a policy inspired by Enrico Mattei, the late founder of oil company Eni. Mattei had called for Italy to support African nations to develop their natural resources and improve their economies in the 1950s.

Following the plane’s return, Ethiopia’s state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported on its website that “Tsehay represents the only surviving artifact from the aviation endeavors of the 1930s.”

Ahmed added, “I extend my immense gratitude to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for her support over the past year in facilitating its return.”

According to the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft, today, Ethiopia has eighty-two active aircraft serving in its military. This includes fighters, helicopters, transports, and trainers.