The bloody two-year conflict between Ethiopia's government and forces in the region began in November 2020 and led to thousands of deaths. "We were given a list containing every name," said Kidane Teklehaimanot, the Tigray Athletics Federation president. "It's possible that some of them joined the armed resistance after the war of annihilation against Tigray," added Teklehaimanot. "If you look at the athletes who are representing their country (Ethiopia) in international competitions today, they are the ones who left Tigray before the war. Reigning 10,000m world champion Gudaf Tsegay and her predecessor Letesenbet Gidey are among the Tigrayan athletes representing Ethiopia on the world stage.

Source: Ethiopian News December 06, 2023 23:11 UTC