Ethiopian Sirak Asfaw, who fled to the Netherlands in the late 1970s, discovered the crown in the suitcase of a visitor and realised it was stolen. Mr Sirak left his home country in 1978 to escape the political repression of the Communist government, or Derg, which had come to power in 1974. Mr Sirak confronted the man and insisted the crown was not leaving unless it could be returned to its home. An expert confirmed it was genuine, and Mr Brand decided the best course of action was to announce it publicly. Both men are waiting for the Ethiopian government to get in touch with the Dutch authorities to plan the return of the crown.

Source: Ethiopian News October 02, 2019 11:37 UTC