Ethiopian Government Silent as Families Declare “We Have Left It in God’s Hands” Over 100 Amhara University Students Kidnapped by Oromo Liberation Army
Addis Ababa – Despite the Oromia regional government’s announcement of the release of 160 students kidnapped near Garba Guracha town in Oromia’s North Shewa zone, the families of the abducted students report that their children remain captive. The harrowing ordeal began last Wednesday as the students traveled from Debark University, and the families continue to express profound concern for their children’s safety.
On Wednesday, July 10, 2024, the Oromia region Communication Service Bureau claimed that of the 167 students allegedly kidnapped by what officials described Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) as an “extremist and terrorist force,” 160 had been released through a “rigorous operation.” Haylu Adugna, Head of the Bureau, informed state media that the students were freed by regional government security forces.
However, anguished families have vehemently contradicted these claims in interviews with local media based in Addis Ababa. One father, whose daughter is a third-year IT student at Debark University, shared his distress: “We are in daily contact with the kidnappers, who continue to demand ransom. They are not listening to our pleas and insist on payment.” The kidnappers are demanding one million birr for his daughter’s release, a sum beyond the reach of many families.
This father reported the kidnapping to authorities on the day it occurred but has not received any communication from the government since then. Expressing his dismay over the regional government’s announcements, he said, “To this day, not a single student has been released by regional government forces. We would have known since the kidnappers contact us daily with our children, and they informed us that no government forces have been seen.”
Another father, whose daughter, also a third-year student from Debark University, has been kidnapped, corroborated this account.
As a farmer, he feels the weight of the ransom demand acutely: “I have never even heard of such a large sum of money, let alone possess it. After begging them to release my daughter, I have left it in God’s hands.”
The students, initially abducted near Garba Guracha town, have since been moved to separate locations, according to the kidnappers.
Further disputing the government’s claims, a sister of another third-year student described the official reports as “entirely false.” She stated, “The last time I spoke with my sister’s captors was yesterday. They called me and connected me with her.” The sister emphasized that the kidnappers’ primary demand is money: “They keep telling me they need money.”
She expressed deep distress over the discrepancy between media reports and their reality, stating, “The truth we know is different from what is being reported in the media. We keep hearing that they have been released, but we know they have not been freed.”
On Monday, the US Embassy in Addis Ababa condemned the surge in kidnappings for ransom in the Oromia region, stating, “Abductions of civilians and students for financial gain must stop.” The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), in its 3rd Annual Human Rights Situation Report released last week, highlighted an increase in kidnappings for ransom affecting both the Oromia and Amhara regions.
The families of the abducted Amhara students continue to suffer in anguish, facing an unbearable wait exacerbated by the deafening silence of both the federal government and the international community. Amidst the relentless demands of the kidnappers, their plight remains unaddressed, highlighting a dire need for urgent intervention to end the crisis that has left them in profound despair.
EAR- Editorial Note
This news story is sourced from: https://www.bbc.com/amharic/articles/ckdgrg580jno
