News: Families refute government's claims of kidnapped students' release, express concern for their children's safety

Addis Abeba – Despite the Oromia regional government’s announcement of the release of 160 students kidnapped last Wednesday near Garba Guracha town in Oromia’s North Shewa zone while traveling from Debark University, the families of the abducted students report that their children have not been freed. The families continue to express concern for their children’s safety.

On Wednesday, 10 July, 2024, the Oromia Communication Service Bureau announced that of the 167 students allegedly kidnapped by what officials described as an “extremist and terrorist force,” 160 had been released through a “rigorous operation.”

Haylu Adugna, the Head of the Bureau, informed the state media that the students were freed by government security forces.

However, families have contradicted these claims in interviews with Addis Standard.

One father, whose daughter is a third-year IT student at Debark University, reported, “We are in daily contact with the kidnappers, who continue to demand that we pay a ransom. They are not listening to our pleas and insist on payment.”

The parent also stated that the kidnappers are demanding one million birr for his daughter’s release.

The father further stated that he had reported the kidnapping to authorities on the day it occurred, last Wednesday, but has not received any communication from the government since then.

Expressing disappointment over the recent government announcements, he said, “To this day, not a single student has been released by 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 of a third-year student from Debark University, whose daughter has also been kidnapped, corroborated this account.

He told Addis Standard that his daughter has not been released and that he is being asked to pay a ransom for her release. The father, who is a farmer, stated, “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 parent added that through phone conversations facilitated by the kidnappers, he learned the students had been transported to a different area after the initial abduction near Garba Guracha town and are currently being held in separate locations.

Further contradicting the government’s claims, a sister of a third-year student from Debark University informed Addis Standard that reports of the kidnapped students being released are “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’ main demand is money, saying, “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.”

The Oromia Regional State Government has attributed the kidnapping to a group they refer to as “Shane,” a term used by government officials in reference to the armed group Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). However, the armed group hasn’t reacted to the accusation as of yet.

Previously, the BBC had reported that some students reportedly escaped on the day of abduction, while others were later released, “identified by their places of birth.”

On Monday, the US Embassy in Addis Abeba condemned the recent surge in kidnappings for ransom reported in the Oromia and Amhara regions. “Abductions of civilians and students for financial gain must stop,” the embassy said in a statement.

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.

In an article published in October 2023, Addis Standard reported on the increasing incidents of kidnappings for ransom in the Oromia region, with multiple victims and officials confirming the trend, which occurs amid ongoing conflict between government forces and the OLA. AS