The Dutch government has returned a stolen Ethiopia crown to its rightful home with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, last Thursday.

Sirak Asfaw, a Dutch citizen and Ethiopian refugee, found the 18th-century crown in April 1998 in his guest's suitcase, and he assumed it was stolen. The crown has historical and religious importance, and it was under his protection for decades until Asfaw informed a historian and authorities that the crown was in his possession last year, as Blavity previously reported.

In a video, Asfaw explained he did not want to return "looted heritage to the same regime as the one during which it was stolen…That is why I have waited for 21 years and have safeguarded it all those years."

The crown itself is a representation of Jesus Christ, God and the Holy Spirit and includes Jesus' disciples, according to the BBC. It is speculated that the crown was a gift to a church by a powerful Ethiopian warlord, Welde Sellase, hundreds of years ago.

Today #Ethiopia receives a precious crown stolen several years ago and taken to the #Netherlands. I am grateful to Sirak Asfaw and the Netherlands government for facilitating its return. @NLinEthiopia
@Landoforigins
pic.twitter.com/BDwdaoo7io

— Abiy Ahmed Ali ???????? (@AbiyAhmedAli) February 20, 2020

Ahmed tweeted that he is grateful to Asfaw and the Netherlands government for helping the crown make its return.

Asfaw left Ethiopia back in 1978 because of the country's Communist regime led by Derg, the Provisional Military Government of Socialist Ethiopia, which was in power from 1974 to 1987.

The government was violent during the era known as the Red Terror, and hundreds of thousands were being killed. People like Asfaw were forced to leave their homes.

Asfaw used to help fellow Ethiopians trying to flee their country in the 80s and 90s.

"Friends, refugees, whoever," he said via the BBC of the people he sought to aid. One of the visitors Asfaw allowed to stay at his home in 1998 was carrying the crown in his bag, the BBC reported.

An upset Asfaw told the thief the crown was not leaving his apartment, stating it had to be returned.

"Most people don't really care about this cultural heritage. I'm loyal to Ethiopia," Asfaw told the BBC.

Asfaw did not know how to return the stolen crown. He has been asking for help through online forums on how to handle this odd situation. Because no one on the internet had any useful suggestions, Asfaw kept the royal artifact safe.

"You end up in such a suffocating situation, not knowing who to tell or what to do, or to hand over," he told the BBC. "And of course afraid that the Dutch government might confiscate it. I had fire alarms all over my house, eight or something like that. Really scared!"

In the end, the Dutch government assisted Asfaw in returning the crown, earning him somewhat of national hero status.

Sirak-Asfaw

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