July 22, 2024

Re: For the Release of Kidnapped Students

Dear

We, the members of the Federation of Amhara Associations in Europe, are writing to bring to your attention a critical situation that requires immediate action. 

On July 3rd, 2024 a group of over 160 students, en route from the Amhara region to Addis Ababa, were taken hostage by government affiliated activists in the North Shewa area of Oromia region.

Unfortunately, such acts have become a routine in Ethiopia and the target groups have mainly been people of Amhara ethnicity. What makes these kidnappings different is the high number of students who fell victim. It is disturbing that government officials gave false statements claiming that they have liberated a large number of victims only for facts to surface, documenting and reporting the opposite. We are perplexed by the fact that families of the victims have been asked to transfer ransom money to bank accounts. It is impossible to dismiss emerging facts that high level government officials are a part of these kidnappings who are enabling money to be transferred using bank accounts in government run banks. In March 2020, Amnesty International published a report detailing the abduction of Amhara students from Dembi Dolo University in western Oromia. Despite the best efforts of their families to obtain information, the whereabouts of the hundred students still remain unknown.

We call upon all parties with an interest in the field of Human rights government, to press the Ethiopian to take immediate measures to ensure the safe release of all students who remain in captivity and investigate as to how the government banks are used for ransom money transfers . 

 

As reported by Borkena newspaper,  “abductions have become a pervasive issue in various parts of Ethiopia since Abiy Ahmed assumed power in 2018. Their prevalence and severity are particularly pronounced in the Oromia region” most of the time targeting Amhara ethnic groups.  A significant number of abductions in the region have been linked to the government affiliated group OLA. Other Oromo opposition parties have alleged that the government itself orchestrates these incidents.

 

We call on the international community to press the Ethiopian authorities to allow independent investigation into these matters and rescue the victims.

 

Yours sincerely,

Federation of Amhara Association in Europe