Ethiopian rebel group: kidnapped tourists are in good health
| 
| 
Source: theGuardian
The Afar region of Ethiopia where four people were kidnapped and five killed in an ambush. Photograph: Josef Friedhuber/EPA
An Ethiopian rebel group says it has kidnapped two German tourists and two Ethiopians, adding that they are safe, in good health and could be released unharmed.
The four were part of a group of 27 tourists attacked on Tuesday in the remote region of Afar in Ethiopia. Two Germans, two Hungarians and an Austrian were killed in the ambush.
"We can … confirm that those German nationals who were taken together with the Ethiopian soldiers are safe and in good health," the rebel Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front (Arduf) said in a statement dated 21 January.
"We can ensure that their peaceful release will be granted through peaceful negotiation … through the Afar elders in the region."
The group did not disclose where it was holding the four and gave no indication of a ransom or any other conditions for the hostages' release.
Arduf says it is fighting for the unification of areas occupied by the Afars, whose homeland straddles Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti. The rebel movement was blamed for the kidnapping of five westerners in 2007.
Addis Ababa has accused neighbouring Eritrea of staging Tuesday's attack, and said it believed the four were being held there. Asmara has dismissed the charge.
An Ethiopian government official said the attack was carried out by an armed group of between 30 and 40 men.
Arduf also denied an Eritrean role in the attack and said Ethiopian troops had killed the tourists during a battle.
"Our forces killed 16 Ethiopian soldiers and wounded a dozen of them … when the Ethiopian forces opened fire on our patrolling unit," it said.
Government officials were not immediately available for comment.
Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a 1998-2000 border war that killed 70,000 people, and the dispute still festers.
Foreigners who enter the area usually include researchers, aid workers and about 500 adventure tourists each year, many of whom visit a desert basin called the Danakil Depression, home to ancient salt mines and volcanoes.
Afar is an arid stretch in Ethiopia's north-east that is home to some of the world's harshest landscape with high temperatures regularly exceeding 50C (122F) in the summer.
In 2007, gunmen there seized five Europeans and eight Ethiopians. The Europeans were handed to the Eritrean authorities less than two weeks later and Britain said Asmara had helped secure their release. The Ethiopians were freed nearly two months later.
--- Newsfeed ... continuous, rolling update
| Time now in Ethiopia |
Ambassador Imru Zelleke interviewed - ETHIOPIA.ORG 
Lij Imru Zelleke, retired Ambassador of Ethiopia, dedicates his life to the national cause and the well-being of his countrymen. Politician, diplomat, orator, negotiator, writer and above all,committed humanist and patriot. Throughout his life, he has actively participated to key historical events, both at home and abroad, acquiring thus a keen insight into the political and social affairs of the world. His writings reflect an unconditional passion for his country and a wealth of historical and political knowledge.
Leslie Lefkow is senior researcher and Horn of Africa team leader for Human Rights Watch's Africa Division. She has specialized expertise in investigating abuses in armed conflict, humanitarian crises, Sudan, and the Horn of Africa. She has conducted investigations for Human Rights Watch in Sudan, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya. Before joining Human Rights Watch, she worked for humanitarian organizations in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sierra Leone. Lefkow is a graduate of Columbia Law School and Bryn Mawr College.
Fikre Tolossa, Ph. D., is a poet-playwright, critic, essayist and educator. His latest book entitled,The Hidden and Untold History of the Jewish People and Ethiopians, as well as his original songs that he himself has composed and plays on the Kirar, will be released soon to the public at large. His film in English, “Multi-colored Flowers” was featured with great resonance in the 
Professor Getatchew Haile, Ph.D., F.B.A., is Cataloguer Emeritus of Oriental Manuscripts and Regents Professor of Medieval Studies at the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library of Saint John’s University, 
Pursuant to the International Genocide Convention and the Declaration of Human Rights, and on behalf of the victims and survivors of the Ethiopian Genocide of 1935-1941, the Global Alliance for Justice - the Ethiopian cause seeks an apology from the Vatican along with acknowledgement, equity, justice, and fair compensation for the Ethiopian people from all concerned, and for the UN to rightfully include the genocide of the Ethiopian people in the annals of its historical genocide records and archives, in order that this long-ignored and untold story may be preserved, for a future world humanity.
Theodore M. Vestal has been a member of the faculty of Oklahoma State University since 1988, serving in the Department of Political Science, where he has been a professor since 1995, and in the School of International Studies. On 1 August 2008, he was granted the title of Professor Emeritus of Political Science. Professor Vestal teaches primarily in the field of constitutional law, with an emphasis on civil liberties and civil rights. His research interests include public law, contemporary Ethiopia, and international education. Dr. Vestal testified before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Africa in 1994 on "Ethiopia: The Challenges Ahead."In 2002, Professor Vestal was awarded a research grant from the Oklahoma Council for the Humanities to write a book about U.S. foreign policy and attitudes towards Africa generally and Ethiopia specifically as seen in the North American travels of Emperor Haile Selassie.
Public Announcement
Support your site
ETHIOPIA.ORG Premier Web Portal appreciates your continued support Your donation will help us enhance our service. Our free service to Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia is a labor of love. We highly value and appreciate your suggestion as well as your input and recommendations. |
User Login
Click on the country to read news ...
