UK Declines to Return Ethiopian Prince's Remains

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The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

It's not right to pressure Windsor Castle on this matter, as there's a valid reason to continue to hold Prince Alemayehu's remains in the UK. While it's tragic that he was dislocated from Ethiopia and there is a case for his repatriation, identifying and exhuming the prince wouldn't be possible as there are dozens of bodies buried in the catacombs.

Establishment-critical narrative

Though the logistics of exhuming the remains are complex, it's unfair to keep Prince Alemayehu's body in a foreign country as his rightful resting place is next to his father in Ethiopia. Moreover, the UK — which also plundered Ethiopia to steal its gold, jewelry, and exotic animals — can use this moment to atone for its imperial past and diplomatic blunder by sending the prince's body back to where it belongs.


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