Ethiopia's exiled Olympic medalist returns home as reconciliation deepens

Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-22 01:56:17|Editor: yan
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ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia's Rio Olympics silver medalist, Feyisa Lilesa, on Sunday returned home from exile for the first time since his Rio Olympics anti-government protest.

Lilesa, who showed solidarity with Ethiopia's Oromos protesting against the Ethiopian government during the 2016 Rio Olympics, was in exile since the men's marathon race during the Olympics. He had demonstrated with anti-government sign at the race's finish line.

The marathoner soon after his anti-government demonstration ruled out a possible return to the east African country over fear of potential imprisonment.

Lilesa - who was welcomed by senior Ethiopian government officials, fellow athletes and his supporters upon his arrival in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa on Sunday - said that recent peaceful transitions and reform within the Ethiopian government structure was the major factor for him to return to his country.

Lilesa followed hundreds of Ethiopian politicians, human rights activists as well as journalists who have also returned home over the past few months following reconciliation call by Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Ahmed, who assumed Ethiopia's premiership position on April 2, have been calling all opposition groups, government critics and others in exile to be part of the country's ongoing reform process.

Ahmed's administration has been also implementing various measures aimed at creating a nationwide reconciliation, which includes the release of high-level political prisoners, invitation for Ethiopian rebel groups for talks as well as the decision to normalize relations with its neighbor Eritrea.

Kassa Kebede, foreign policy chief of Ethiopia's former ruling party, is one among the notable Ethiopians who have returned home after decades in exile.

Kebede, one of the top leaders of the Ethiopian Workers' Party (EWP) that ruled the East African country for 17 years, has been in exile for about 27 years since the current ruling coalition came into power.

Ethiopia's armed rebel group Patriotic Ginbot 7 leader, Birhanu Nega, was also another high-profile opposition figure who returned home last month after 11 years in exile, to the cheers of thousands of supporters in the capital Addis Ababa.

Various popular Ethiopian rebel groups - such as the Patriotic Ginbot 7, Oromo Liberation Front and the Ogaden National Liberation Front - have also similarly declared ceasefire which was followed by return of their leaders from exile as Ethiopia's reform process strengthened over the past couple of months.

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