borkena
December 20, 2020
Benyam Getachew, only five years old, went all the way to Tigray region (from Woliso) before the war against TPLF broke out to visit his father Lieutenant Getachew Boredan.
On November 4, TPLF attacked the several bases of the northern command of the Ethiopian Defense Force. Benyam Getachew and his father, along with thousands of EDF members, were detained and became “captives.”
As the war on TPLF was intensified leading to catastrophic losses, TPLF had to flee Mekelle using the thousands of captives as human shields.
Lieutenant Getachew Boredan had to walk hundreds of kilometres carrying his son, Benyam Getachew, and with help from comrades.
“At one point on the TPLF people driving by the captives asked Lieutenant Getachew to let his son be with them in the car. I said no. He will remain with me.”
A little later, the Ethiopian Airforce launched an operation to rescue the captives. As the airstrike started, Lieutenant Getachew Boredan took his son with him to take a shield in a rocky area. Benyam asked his father as to what was going on. He told his son “Abiy[the prime minister] is sending the air force to save us.”
And the car in which Benyam was supposed to get a ride was destroyed in the air strike. That is when Benyam told his father that he will be in the air force when he grows up.
Those who were nearby to Benyam during the journey were surprised that Benyam was comforting soldiers with courageous remarks about their situation.
The story was aired in the state media, Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC), and Ethiopian Air Force commanders including Maj. General Yilma Merdasa happened to watch it. They want to take care of the child until he reaches the age to join the Ethiopian Air Force.
Watch video below.
Video : embedded from EBC YouTube channel
Cover Photo : screenshot from video
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