By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Ethiopia’s military has presented an award of honour to the head of Turkish drone company Baykar for his support in boosting the country’s air force during the two-year civil war in the Tigray region.
Ethiopia’s army chief handed over the “medal of honour” to Haluk Bayraktar during an annual air force show in Bishoftu, near the capital, Addis Ababa.
Bayraktar stated that he “was honoured to be awarded the medal of honour”, a category of honour rarely given to foreign nationals.
The armed drones are believed to have assisted in turning the tide in the civil war in the country’s favour.
The conflict came to an end November last year following a peace deal signed in South Africa.
The exact details of the award are not clear but it appears to be different from the National Medal of Honour which is normally bestowed by the country’s President.
African states are increasingly acquiring Turkish drones to fight armed groups.
