Ten Western tourists feared kidnapped in Ethiopia are safe and well and have been in contact with their tour operator, Samson Teshome, head of Origins Ethiopia, told Agence France-Presse on Friday.
”One group has reappeared with 10 people,” said Teshome, refusing to give their nationalities. ”Their satphone was not working, that is why they couldn’t contact us.”
Earlier in the day, it was reported that fifteen foreigners, including 11 French nationals, a Briton and an Italian, were believed to have been kidnapped in a remote and inhospitable area of Ethiopia where separatist rebels operate.
”A kidnapping or kidnappings did take place,” French Ambassador Stephane Gompertz told Reuters.
Two groups — one of 10 French tourists, the other comprising a mixture of nationalities — disappeared earlier in the week while visiting the arid north-east Afar region, considered one of the world’s most hostile terrains.
”It seems that the incident or incidents happened two days ago in the evening. At the moment, we don’t know which group may be involved or why they have done this,” Gompertz added. — AFP, Reuters