Washington DC, Jan 22 (ESAT)–The Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front (ARDUF) has blamed Ethiopian government forces for the killings of five European tourists from Germany, Hungary and Austria in Afar region. The front also confirmed that it was holding an unspecified number of German nationals and Ethiopian soldiers.
In a military communiqué it sent today to the Ethiopian Satellite Television (ESAT), ARDUF claimed that it had a battle with Ethiopian government forces in Xoxom, near Arta_Ale Volcano. “On Monday January 16, 2012, our forces killed 16 Ethiopian soldiers and wounded a dozen of them in a battle when the Ethiopian forces opened fire on our patrolling unit near the Arta-Ale Volcano in a place called Xoxom. It was in this battle that the 5 European nationals were killed.”
According to ARDUF, the slain Europeans we killed by the Ethiopian military forces. “We can confirm that European Nationals were absolutely killed by the Ethiopian forces who were accompanying them.” The front criticized the state-run television, ETV, for showing only European nationals on TV while it neither mentioned nor showed the dead and injured soldiers. The front noted in its communiqué that this was a ploy to criminalize ARDUF and “illegalize our legitimate political demand and to further terrorize Afar people in the region in the name of fighting terrorism.”
ARDUF also said that it had a good record of “protecting, respecting and helping foreign Nationals and civilians” that it took hostage more than seven times in nearly three decades. “The fact is that all those captured by ARDUF were safely released. We are against killings and torturing of innocent civilians whatever nationality they are,” ARDUF said. The front said that the hostages would be released safely
The Afari front also indicated that the fighting occurred between ARDUF and TPLF led Ethiopian forces. “Ethiopian accusation of Eritrea of arming and training Afar rebel (ARDUF) is baseless and unfounded.” It insisted that the government of Eritrea had nothing to do with the incident that claimed that the lives of five Europeans.
ARDUF warned foreign nationals, investors and companies not to operate in areas controlled by its forces without permission from the front. “Any person who violates or ignore this advice can endanger their lives in any engagements between our forces and the TPLF-led Ethiopian forces,” ARDU said in its communiqué.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login