The Italian government officially returned the first plane to Ethiopia, after nearly 9 decades of being stolen by the fascist Benito Mussolini regime, according to "The Guardian" newspaper.

The Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed celebrated the official receipt of the plane, which is named "Tsihay" in honor of the princess, daughter of Emperor Haile Selassie.

Abiy commented on his account on the social media platform "X" on the photos of the red two-seater plane: "Today is a great day of pride for Ethiopians as we celebrate the official handover of Tsihay by the Italian government."

- What is the story of the plane?

The plane was designed in 1935 during the reign of Haile Selassie, the Ethiopian emperor, and was a cooperative effort between German pilot Heir Ludwig Weber and Ethiopian engineers.

In December 1935, Weber undertook the first flight of the plane, covering a distance of about 30 miles (50 km) from Addis Ababa, and the flight lasted about 7 minutes.

By 1936, as Italian forces were approaching the invasion of the Ethiopian capital, the plane had flown about 30 hours.

The plane was seized and transferred to Italy after Mussolini occupied Ethiopia, then known as "Abyssinia," in 1935, and Addis Ababa fell into the hands of the fascists the following year, according to historians.

The Italian Ministry of Defense described the plane, preserved in the Italian Air Force Museum since 1941, as a "unique specimen."

Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said: "This delivery represents a strong message that in the wake of the Italo-African summit, Italy wants to highlight the strong relationship between our two countries and emphasize the value of dialogue and the importance of international cooperation."