Redae Gebreyesus could have been representing Ethiopia at the Paris Olympics, but his life was cut short by civil war.

The talented middle-distance runner was killed in late 2020, not long after the conflict in Tigray broke out in November of that year.

Tigray, the East African nation’s northernmost state, has always been a vital part of Ethiopian athletics, with a third of the country’s track team currently competing in the French capital hailing from the region.

According to his coach, Gebreyesus had the potential to be part of that squad – had it not been for the bloody two-year battle between Ethiopia’s government and forces in the region.

“Redae, without any doubt, wouldn’t have just been selected but he could have won medals,” Getye Mekuria told BBC Tigrinya.

“He could have been better than the rest of the athletes. His death is considered as Ethiopia losing one eye.”

Fighting ended when the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front signed a peace deal brokered by the African Union in November 2022.

But a study by Ghent University estimates that up to 600,000 people have died because of the war, with over two million displaced and nearly 900,000 forced to flee as refugees.

In the town of Edaga Arbi, some 25km from the border with Eritrea, Gebreyesus’ mother still mourns the loss of her son.

“I lost everything,” said Hadera Seyum from her home.

“However, I have his children. Had he had no children, I would have considered myself as having nothing.”