People with prosthetic limbs wait to begin their exercise routines at the physical rehabilitation center of the Tigray Disabled Veterans Association in Mekele. AFP

Aregawi Mezgebe (2R), 29, works out at the physical rehabilitation center of the Tigray Disabled Veterans Association in Mekele. AFP

Aregawi Mezgebe limped and grimaced as he completed his exercises at a rehabilitation center in Mekele, the capital of Ethiopia's war-torn Tigray region. The former mechanic fought with Tigrayan rebel forces in the devastating two-year war that concluded in November 2022, driven by accounts of 'abuses and killings' by federal forces. He was struck by a bomb in the neighboring Amhara region, where the conflict had spread, in September 2022.

'I had my right leg amputated,' the 29-year-old told AFP, rolling up his trouser leg to display a prosthetic limb. He is fortunate that Mekele is home to the only free rehab center in all of Ethiopia, a nation of approximately 120 million people.

'The medical care I received here is truly excellent,' Aregawi said with a smile.

A staff member adjusts a prosthetic limb as another man observes at the physical rehabilitation center of the Tigray Disabled Veterans Association in Mekele. AFP

He expressed hope for the future: 'I would like to start a business or drive a tuk-tuk.' The Tigray conflict claimed around 600,000 lives and left more than one million displaced. Landmines and stray bombs continue to cause death and injury. The rehab center, established in 1996, remained open throughout the war, partly due to support from the Red Cross.

Its director, Brhame Teame, takes pride in the center's neutral stance. 'A total of 175 Ethiopian army soldiers were treated here during the war, even though they came to kill us,' he said. 'We treat anyone in need.' During a recent visit by AFP, about 10 patients were present, including a young cancer patient learning to use her artificial legs while navigating parallel bars.

Saba Teklay at the physical rehabilitation center of the Tigray Disabled Veterans Association in Mekele. AFP

Also at the center was Saba Teklay, 25, who lost a forearm and a leg when a building in central Mekele was bombed in the early stages of the war. She spent nearly a month in a coma and an additional four months in the hospital before coming to the rehab center.

'I'm adjusting to the artificial prostheses made for me,' said Teklay, who works at a bank. The prostheses are crafted in a nearby workshop. Hagos Girmay, 55, has been creating artificial limbs for patients since 2001. During the war, 'we were inundated with work, staying until 10 pm every day,' he said amidst the noise of hammers and drills.

He himself was disabled by a leg injury during conflict with the Marxist regime known as the Derg, which governed Ethiopia from 1974 to 1991. 'When I see a patient arrive on crutches and leave with artificial limbs, when I see him regain his balance, I feel fulfilled,' Hagos told AFP.

A peace agreement signed in November 2022 has halted the fighting in Tigray, but Brhame is concerned about ongoing conflicts in Ethiopia's most populous regions, Amhara and Oromia. 'We need peace in Ethiopia now; we are weary of wars.'

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