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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – In a distressing incident, over a hundred university students traveling from the Amhara region to the capital, Addis Ababa, were reportedly kidnapped by militants in the Oromia region. This information was sourced from BBC Amharic by Addis Insight.
Eyewitnesses and families of the hostages told the BBC that the passengers, most of whom are students from Debark University, were kidnapped by gunmen in the Gerbe Guracha area of the North Showa zone in Oromia. The attack happened approximately 155 kilometers north of Addis Ababa.
The students were traveling in three public transport buses called “Tata” on Wednesday, July 3, 2023., when they were intercepted. The assailants, referred to as “Shene,” stopped the buses and took the passengers into the forest.
A fourth-year student recounted the harrowing experience, stating that the militants, armed with sniper rifles and Kalashnikovs, forced everyone off the buses and took them into the forest. “They stopped us with weapons, forced us out of the bus, and took us into the forest,” the student said, describing the event as “horrific.”
Another student, who managed to escape, reported that 56 people, including herself, were able to flee from the three buses. “We all ran to save our lives,” she told the BBC, noting that she was injured during the escape and taken to a hospital.
The militants demanded ransom money for the release of the hostages. A family member of one of the kidnapped students reported that they were asked to pay 700,000 birr for her release. The family was left in a state of confusion and helplessness, unable to meet the demand.
Efforts to obtain more information about the incident from Debark University and local officials were unsuccessful. The university president mentioned only that “we have applied to the relevant federal institution.”
This is not the first such incident in the North Showa region, which connects the Amhara and Oromia regions. Previous kidnappings in the area have also involved ransom demands. The Oromo Liberation Army, which the government calls “Shene” and has classified as a terrorist group, is believed to be responsible for these abductions.
This information was initially reported by BBC Amharic and has been used as a source for this article.
Addis Insight
For more detailed information, visit the BBC Amharic website.
