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29 March 2007
British, French and Italian ambassadors to Ethiopia on Tuesday requested for unconditional release of Ethiopians kidnapped in the northern state of Afar near the Eritrean border.
"We remain anxious for the welfare of those still missing and call upon those holding them to ensure their immediate release and safe return to their family and friends," the ambassadors said in a joint statement.
"We continue to work closely with all those in the region who may have influence to bring to bear on this humanitarian issue, in order to secure their early and unconditional release," they said.
Following the release of a group of British embassy workers, tensions were growing between Ethiopia and Eritrea as Ethiopia believes the captives are in Eritrea.
The group, which is made up of three British men, one Italian- British woman and a French woman, were kidnapped in the remote Afar desert region, about 800 km northeast of the capital Addis Ababa.
The embassy staff and their relatives were sightseeing near the disputed border region between Ethiopia and Eritrea when they went missing. The eight locals, who had been accompanying the Europeans, were also missing.
The Ethiopian government called for the "immediate and unconditional" release of the kidnapped.
Eritrea has repeatedly denied any connection to the kidnapping, claiming its arch-foe is trying to implicate Eritrea to damage its reputation.
Voices have been raised recently in Ethiopia to put to question the silence kept by the international community and the international media after the release of the European captives, saying that it seems the hostage-taking drama has ended.
Source: Xinhua