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Last Sunday was supposed to be an ordinary day's work for Henok Berhane, who works as a flight technician at Ethiopian Airlines.
When he was introduced to Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, he and other crewmembers were informed that they would be on board a VIP flight to Khartoum, Sudan
. government officials took off, the captain announced their destination was, in fact, somewhere an Ethiopian carrier did not travel in nearly 20 years – neighboring Eritrea.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed welcomes Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh and his delegation to Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia June 26, 2018. (Tiksa Negeri / Reuters) [19659006] The crew members burst into joy, happy to be part of a historic diplomatic trip to rival Ethiopia
But Berhane could not speak.
"I was shocked," said Berhane, who was born in the capital of Eritrea, Asmara.
A crew member approached him and asked him why he was so calm.
"I told him," Maybe for you guys it will be a historic robbery, but for me … I'm going to meet my mother's, "Berhane said.
"My mother lives in Asmara."
Henok Berhane (middle) with his family after a surprising landing in Asmara, Eritrea – a place he never imagined 20 years ago. (Henok Berhane / Faceboook)
Berhane, who has an Eritrean mother and an Ethiopian father, left Asmara when he was 17 years old to study in Addis Ababa.
Before being able to return to his mother's house, a fierce war broke out between the two countries, leaving tens of thousands of dead in the battles between 1998 and 2000
Eritrea and the United States. Ethiopia have remained in a stalemate since then. Until last week, travel between the two countries was banned and the phone connections were cut off.
In the plane, Berhane was overwhelmed.
"My inner emotion was uncontrollable," he said, adding that he had only seen his mother once in the last 20 years, when she had come in. Ethiopia via Sudan to visit him
touching story of Henok Berhane crew member of @flyethiopian who flew to #Asmara with @Dr_abiy and reunited with his family and friends after 20 years, he was a big surprise because the crew did not know that they were heading towards #Eritrea pic.twitter.com / tWCcLtvMFr
"I just started crying, but no one saw me crying in the plane."
When l & # 39; plane lands in Asmara, Berhane says that he has completed his task of securing the plane and then asked a woman if he could use his phone to call his m re.
Happy to make the connection, the woman composed her "I said to her:" Hello mom, here is your son Henok, I am in Asmara. "
After a few moments of disbelief, Berhane's mother burst into tears," She could not say a word, "he says.
More pictures of Henok and his family and his friends who are having fun every moment of his trip to #Eritrea I can not help but I wonder how long it will take for someone from #Eritrea or #Ethiopia film industry to make a film. pic.twitter.com/poid1HAHn4
Once at his hotel, Berhane has asked the Eritrean authorities who accompanied the VIP team in the plane to take him to his mother's house.
"Everyone was waiting for me … my whole family, my neighbors" , he said. "I was so excited."
He had a tearful reunion with his mother, added Berhane, adding that it was "a special moment"
During this trip, the new Ethiopian reformist Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, and the Eritrean President, Isaias Afewerki, called for the official end of the war between their countries and agreed to resume economic ties. and diplomatic. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is greeted by President of Erirea Isaias Afwerki as he lands in Asmara (Eritrea) on Sunday. July 8, 2018. (ERITV / Associated Press)
"I can say that it is a time of blessing of God," said Berhane, adding that there is much from other families like his who were torn apart. except for the war between the two countries.
"I'm the luckiest I met my mother on the first flight," he said.
On July 18, Ethiopian Airlines will resume daily flights between Addis Ababa and Asmara
According to Berhane, all seats on the first flight of next week were booked in a flash.
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