More than 100 college students who were on a bus journey from the Amhara region to Addis Ababa were reportedly taken by armed individuals in the Oromia region according to various local sources. The majority of these students, who are said to be from Debark University, were seized by gunmen in the Gerbe Guracha vicinity of the Oromia region, according to their family members.
The incident involving the abduction of the university students has caused great concern and distress among their loved ones and the community at large. Authorities are working diligently to locate and secure the safe return of the abducted students, as the situation continues to unfold. The safety and well-being of the students remain a top priority, and efforts are being made to ensure their swift and secure release from captivity.
The students hailing from Debark and Bahir Dar were on a journey in three public transport buses when they were allegedly abducted by the armed faction recognized as the Oromo Liberation Army, “Shene,” as per the BBC report on Wednesday. The incident took place as they were passing through a small village situated between Goha Tsion and Tulu Milki, where the armed individuals intercepted the buses and took the students captive.
Reports indicate that a group of heavily armed men intercepted a convoy of buses and abducted a number of students. The exact count of the kidnapped students remains uncertain, with estimates ranging from 120 to 130 individuals. Among the passengers taken were women and children, adding to the gravity of the situation.
An escapee from the harrowing incident recounted that government forces engaged in a firefight with the armed abductors, who had marched several kilometers with their captives. The kidnappers have since made contact with the families of the students, demanding a substantial ransom of 700,000 birr per student. The threat of violence looms over the situation, as the captors have warned of dire consequences if their demands are not met.
TH
Don’t you dare call the kidnappers of these innocent citizens as Oromos or a ‘liberation’ army. This is nothing terrorism in every way you look at it. Oromos are not kidnappers and never been one. They were victims of kidnappers themselves. These are run of the mill thugs. Their behavior was/is barbaric. Oromos are kind people. Just look at they have done for those few who were lucky to escape. They were able to hide inside the homes of Oromo peasants until the savage kidnappers had completely gone away. The acts of those very kind Oromo peasants is what describes us Oromos. So stop calling these savage kidnappers ‘Oromo radicals’. It will not help further the accord. It will make the work of those of us who have been working very hard to bring people from various ethnic backgrounds to come together. Just stop it.
ኦሮሞ አማራ ክልል ተከብሮ ይኖራል እነዚህ ማፈሪያዎች ህጻናታን አግተው እየሳቁ ፎቶ ይነሳሉ ያሳዝናል ወንድ ብታገኝ ፈርጥጠህ ባህር ውስጥ ትገባ ነበር፡፡
በኢስላሚክ ኦሮሞና በሌሎች ኦሮሞዎች መሃከል ያለው አንድነትና ልዩነት ግልጽ መሆን አለበት ክርስቲያን ኦሮሞዎች ተውጠዋል