Ethiopian Olympic gold medalist Haile Gebrselassie pledged to join the fight against rebellious forces in his country, after the prime minister said he had gone to direct the war from the front lines
The 48-year-old retired champion, who set 27 long distance running records, told Reuters that he felt compelled to join up because Ethiopia's existence was under threat.
Haile, his lithe, athletic frame dressed in business attire, said he believed sport was about "peace and love". But he defended his decision to join the fight against rebellious Tigrayan forces and their allies, who last month threatened to march on the capital Addis Ababa."What would you do when the existence of a country is at stake? You just put down everything. Alas, nothing will bind you.
The year-long conflict has killed thousands of people, forced more than 2 million more from their homes and left 400,000 people in Tigray facing famine. It escalated sharply after the threat by rebellious forces to march on the capital, leading toHaile Gebrselassie, Ethiopian Olympic gold medallist and national hero, who pledged on Wednesday to join the fight against rebellious forces, gestures at his office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia November 24, 2021.
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