Ethiopia and Cuba commemorate 45th anniversary of Karramara battle

Addis Ababa, Mar 5 (Prensa Latina) Ethiopians and Cubans living here commemorated the 45th anniversary of the battle of Karramara, which protected Ethiopia's sovereignty and territorial integrity over the Ogaden desert, against external expansionist attempts.

The Ethiopia-Cuba Friendship Park hosted the celebration of the victory of the joint troops of both countries which, according to the Cuban ambassador in Addis Ababa, Jorge Lefebre, sealed with blood shed on the battlefields, the deep and lasting friendship existing between the Cuban and Ethiopian peoples.

He reminded of the hundreds of doctors, teachers and health personnel who have served in the African country, as well as the thousands of Ethiopians, many of them war orphans, trained in the Caribbean island and some present at this Sunday’s celebration.

‘We, as Cubans, feel proud to have been able to share that part of history with the Ethiopian people and government, and that is why it is a duty to come here every 5 th of March, to pay tribute to the fallen’, Lefebre emphasized.

Ambassador Eshete Tilahun, director general for Latin America and Europe of the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, thanked Cuba for its continuous support to his country and highlighted the sacrifice and accompaniment of the Caribbean troops during the battle of Karramara in a true demonstration of international solidarity.

He also emphasized on the relations of respect and cooperation throughout 48 years with Cuba, which he described as a sister in the Caribbean.

Floral offerings were placed at the foot of the two murals showing the portraits printed on bronze plaques of the 163 Cuban combatants who fell during the combat in the park popularly known as Tiglachin Monument (Our Struggle, in Amharic language)