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Friday, March 02, 2007

Is it twelve or five? No one for sure knows the number of kidnapped foreigners in the Afar. The only confirmed case if that of five British nationals and thirteen Ethiopians. Some reports say there are seven more Europeans missing. Others say the seven are safe.
This blogger's Afar region sources are also confused. First, it was supposed to be Eritrean Agents who captured the foreign nationals. Then, the kidnappers were thought to be bandits operating in the Denkil depression. A ransom was said to be asked which later on proved to be false. Now I am being told that the kidnappers might have crossed the border to Eritrea.
The place is very remote and the weather is very inhospitable. That has surely dented access to reliable information.
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3 comments:

Unknown said...

There were two different abductions,

1. Seven French citizens with 8 Ethiopians were abducted by the new democratic movement called Afar National Democratic Movement (ANDM). This movement is anti TPLF (the current Ethiopian administrative clique). They abducted the Frenches on Thursday.

2. Five British Citizens including embassy representative and a score of Ethiopians who were tour guide were abducted by the same movement

There were differing accounts of the fate of the French tourists. One said they may have been released while another said seven remained unaccounted for.

Samson Teshome, manager of Origin Ethiopia, a local company that organised a trip for a French party, said their convoy had set out last weekend from Mekele. After visiting salt mines and lakes, they were due to camp at the village of Hamadile last night. "We never heard from them. All I know is they are missing."

Mr Teshome said another group, which is believed to have included the Britons, had hired a car, and were travelling with a local cook, guide and policeman. Small pockets of rebels and bandits are known to operate in Afar, and the government requires all convoys to have a minimum of two cars and always travel with armed police.

The Foreign Office refused to disclose whether the group had permission to visit the area or whether they were protected by bodyguards. Such was the government's sensitivity about the abduction that a defence advisory notice was issued, asking the media not to reveal details of those involved.

The Afar tribesmen acquired a dangerous reputation from Wilfred Thesiger's Danakil Diary, which reported their tradition of killing and castrating visitors.

1:52 PM
Unknown said...

TPLF is blaming the kidnapping on Eritrea. Many do not believe, there has been constant lie being spread about the Eritreans. One man who declined to be identified said, "its them (TPLF) in killing and kidnapping business, everyone knows that."

They try to make it look as if its the Eritreans, they say so many things about the Eritreans but the truth is that the Eritreans are busy minding their own business. They focused on development, not in kidnapping as TPLF would have you believe. Recently, TPLF leader said, Eritreans were coaught attempting to blow up AU meeting. Imagine, why would the Eritreans do that? they are member state of AU, why would they blow up leaders from other African countries? This is a desparate measure by TPLF to divert attention from the international community by deflecting their weaknesses on promoting Democracy in Ethiopia. Its TPLF that has imprisoned the CUDP leadership for winning the May 2005 National election.

TPLF called the Mat 2005 National election and when they lose they try to take the government by force, when the international community complained they called for re-counting the ballots, when they realized they were on the losing side then they stopped the counting. People protested peacefully, then TPLF panicked and ordered the killing of many pprotesters as a means to scare and quell the protesters. Unfortunately, their plan did not work the way they wanted it, instead it backfired. It revived the people's patritic feeling and awakened the sleeping giant. Then they realized the situation is getting out hand, they blamed the winning party (CUDP) leadership for the killing. Even though the killing was done by the Federal police in collaboration with AGAZI FORCE (made up of only Tigre force).

Now, time has eleppsed but the problem is just as big as it was when the election took place. Time has come and past many judges and lawyers saw the evil coming from far, they all runaway. Who is left at home is their main support, almost all sectors are controlled by TPLF member. Even when they kill an Ethiopian they force all soldiers to fire one bullet in the Ethiopian body, so they all are in the same boat. In two days or so, there will be court appearances of the winning party (CUDP) leadership in court. The Ethiopian people are waiting to see what the court will do to their DEMOCRATICALLY ellected leaders.

IT IS BELIEVED THAT TPLF ABDUCTED THE FOREIGNERS SO AS TO DEFELECT THE ATTENTION OF ETHIOPIANS. BY DOING THAT THEY HOPE TO SWAY THE MINDS OF THE PUBLIC THAT THEY ARE PREPARING TO GO TO WAR WITH ERITREA. THEY HOPE THE PEOPLE BUY THAT GIMMICK ANYMORE. THEY ARE SILLY BUNCH, THE PEOPLE CANNOT WAITE TO SEE THEM LEAVE!

2:19 PM
Anonymous said...

ethio-Zagol You are on newspaper!

1:12 AM

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