Ethiopia and Eritrean story : Father-daughter moving reunion after 25 years

Ethio-Eritrea war and the twenty years of state of war has brought about much tragedy to many families. Separation was one of them.

Following rapprochement between the two countries since a few months ago, normalization of relation is in full force. People to people relation is reinforced. And families are reuniting.

Getachew Muhye was a member of Ethiopian Defense force of the Air Force Division. He was in Eritrea during the war against the then Eritrean rebels (Shabiya), now People’s Front for Democracy and Justice which is governing Eritrea under the leadership of president Isayas Afeworki.

As a military officer in Eritrea, he happened to marry a girl from Eritrea, Frewoyni, and happened to have his first daughter Selamawit Getachew in 1990.

When the situation changed in Eritrea following the fall of colonel Mengistu Hailemariam’s government in May 1991, Getachew, along with the rest of the army division he was in, had to live Eritrea and cross to Sudan.

Later, he was able to return to Ethiopia but was unable to reunite with his daughter and wife. “I managed to communicate with them via letter soon after my arrival to Ethiopia. But after the border war, there was no communication,” he told JTV Ethiopia talk show.

His daughter know him only in picture for more than 25 years. She is now married and has one son.

“If you are alive, it has been more than 25 years,I want to meet you and I love you.” Those were the words of Selamawit when JTV Ethiopia, which must be credit for the effort to search and reunite separated families in Ethiopia and Eritrea, asked her as to what she wants to say to her father.

JTV Ethiopia went extra-mile to reunite the families. Selamawit flew to Ethiopia from Eritrea. It was a surprise when she knocked on her father’s door in condominium in Tulu Dimtu, outside of Ethiopia, but with no time theye were both in tears as they were hugging. A very moving experience. Once again credit goes to JTV Ethiopia on this matter.

SOURCE:BORKENA