Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of terrorism over kidnapping

Ethiopia today accused bitter rival Eritrea of orchestrating the kidnapping of five Europeans and eight Ethiopians, describing it as an act of terrorism.

“The kidnapping was an act of terrorism by Eritrea,” deputy government spokesman Belete Tekiwe said.

The five freed British Embassy hostages are to be reunited with family and loved ones after being kidnapped in Ethiopia and held captive for 13 days by an armed rebel group, officials said today.

Eritrea, which has denied having anything to do with the kidnapping, blamed the Ethiopian rebel group Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front. ARDUF, established in the 1990s, aims to unite Afar tribespeople in Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea.

Relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have been strained since Eritrea gained independence from the Addis Ababa government in 1993 following a 30-year guerrilla war. The two countries fought a two-year border war that ended in 2000.

It was not clear where the tour group had been held.

Ethiopian officials have said the hostages may have been taken by rebel gunmen and marched across the porous Ethiopian border into neighbouring Eritrea, but Eritrea said yesterday that the hostages only crossed into Eritrea immediately before being handed over to the embassy.

Fears are growing for the eight Ethiopians who were kidnapped with the group and who are still missing. The Ethiopian government called for their immediate release.

The five Europeans, kidnapped while on a sightseeing tour near the disputed border with Eritrea, were released yesterday and taken to the British Embassy in Asmara, the Eritrean capital, where they were fed and given medical check-ups.

The five, based in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, including First Secretary Peter Rudge, were kidnapped on March 1.

Others kidnapped were named as: Jonathan Ireland, a member of the administrative support staff; two members of the Department for International Development, Malcolm Smart and Laure Beaufils, a French national; and Rosanna Moore, wife of the head of the British Council in Addis Ababa.

They were on a tourist trip to see geological sites in the remote Afar Depression region, known as one of the hottest and most inhospitable places on Earth.

A British foreign office official said they were to leave Asmara shortly although declined to give their final destination.

Michael Moore, the head of the British Council’s Ethiopia office and husband of one of the kidnapped tourists, today said he had spoken briefly to his wife over the phone.

“She sounded well and healthy. I am feeling very relieved and grateful for all the work that has been done so far,” Mr Moore said in Addis Ababa. He said they did not discuss details of her ordeal.