Ethiopia accuses Eritrea over kidnapped Brits
A shot-up British Embassy vehicle abandoned by the side of the road in the remote Ethiopian village of Hamedali. Photo: Ap
A missing tour group linked to the British Embassy, which was kidnapped in Ethiopia last week, was taken by 30 men who took them into neighbouring Eritrea, Ethiopia's arch-rival, according to news reports.
The five Europeans, along with 13 Ethiopian drivers and translators, went missing while travelling in Ethiopia's Afar region, a barren expanse of salt mines and volcanoes 800 kilometres northeast of the capital, Addis Ababa.
Cmdr. Ali Dani, the Deputy Police Commissioner in Afar, said investigators have determined there were 30 kidnappers carrying "heavy military equipment". He did not say what the equipment was or what evidence he had
"What police found out about the situation is that the hostages have been taken to the Eritrean territory," Dani told Radio Fana, a private radio station with ties to the government, during its 7 pm news bulletin.
Eritrea has denied any involvement in the kidnapping.
A statement today from the Eritrean Foreign Affairs ministry called the allegations a "blatant lie".
Ethiopian government officials have blamed Eritrea before, but played down the allegations over the weekend.
Relations between the countries have been strained since Eritrea gained independence from the Addis Ababa government in 1993 following a 30-year guerrilla war.
The state-owned Ethiopian News Agency reported Wednesday that elders in Afar had reported that the group was being held in Eritrea. Afar tribesmen frequently cross the border between the two countries.
The elders said the abductors were armed with automatic guns and radio communication equipment, and set fire to a local finance office in a remote Ethiopian village, Hamedali, after taking cash and property. The agency named the elders as Ahmed Hussien Mohammed, Abdu Ali and Ali Mohammed Ibrahim.
British Foreign Office officials, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with ministry policy, have said no one has claimed responsibility or made any demands.
The five Europeans are employees of the British Embassy in Addis Ababa, or their relatives. Four are believed to be British citizens; the other is French.
Communication and travel into Afar are extremely difficult. The region is not heavily travelled by foreigners - in part because of its proximity to Ethiopia's disputed border with Eritrea.
Its moonlike landscape, though, draws adventure tourists. The famous Ethiopian fossil of Lucy, the earliest known hominid, was discovered in Afar 1974.
Travellers in Afar are required to have armed guards. Bandits and a small rebel group operate there.
AP
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