Vienna State Police spokesperson Philipp Haslinger said a national and international manhunt was under way. Surveillance footage showed one of the suspects carrying what appeared to be a real firearm, although it was not used during the robbery.

Investigators have recovered evidence from the museum and are examining DNA and other leads. Police have also appealed to the public for information, with Haslinger saying numerous tips had already been received.

The platinum necklace was created by French jewellery house Van Cleef & Arpels in 1939 and features more than 200 carats of diamonds in a sunburst design. Queen Nazli, mother of Egypt's King Farouk, wore it at the 1939 wedding of her daughter Princess Fawzia to Iran ian Crown Prince Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who later became Shah of Iran.

The necklace sold at Sotheby's in New York for about $4.3 million in 2015 before later joining the Van Cleef & Arpels collection. It was on display in Vienna as part of the MAK's "GLANZSTUCKE" exhibition dedicated to the French jewellery house.

Ethiopia, located in the Horn of Africa, fiercely maintained its independence through military resistance, most famously by defeating the Italian army at the Battle of Adwa in 1896.

Despite a brief occupation by Fascist Italy from 1936 to 1941, Ethiopia was never formally colonised and retained its imperial structure under Emperor Haile Selassie.

Liberia, on the other hand, was founded in 1822 by freed African-American slaves under the auspices of the American Colonization Society . It declared independence in 1847 and remained free from European colonisation, although it was heavily influenced by American political and cultural norms.

Modern-day significance

The independence of Ethiopia and Liberia is more than a historical footnote—it continues to shape their national identities and regional roles today:

Cultural and psychological impact

The historical independence of Ethiopia and Liberia has had a profound cultural impact, serving as beacons of African resistance and resilience . Ethiopia, in particular, became a symbol of hope for Pan-African movements and Black liberation struggles across the globe, from Harlem to Johannesburg.

In Liberia, the preservation of indigenous identities alongside Americo-Liberian traditions has created a complex but uniquely self-governed African society that avoided the deep scars of European-imposed boundaries and rule.