Authorities from Oromo region say radical Oromo Liberation Front armed wing – Shane – is behind the kidnapping
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Three Benishangul Gumuz region Kamashi zone prison authorities are reportedly kidnapped in the West Wellega area, Oromo region of Ethiopia.
The incident happened, based on the VOA Amharic report, on Thursday. The prison authorities were taking public transportation and were travelling from Nedjo to the Kamashi zone in Benishangul Gumuz.
The bus was stopped in a forest area just outside of Beji Dermeji town, according to an eyewitness who spoke to VOA Amharic on condition of anonymity.
One of the witnesses is a family member of one of the kidnapped authorities but she declined to reveal her identity for fear of reprisals to the family members and to the kidnapped too.
Debela Teklu, ruling prosperity party head of Beji Dermeji town, is cited as saying that it is the OLF-Shame that is behind the kidnapping and that an effort is underway to secure their release.
A family member of one of the kidnapped officials told VOA that she was in touch with her husband in the first two days but has not heard anything since then.
The radical military wing of the radical Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), which the government calls Shane, has been operating in the area for over three years now and has been targeting unarmed civilians too.
News of the kidnapping happened the same week when the Federal government was hailing the Oromo regional government’s “coordination with the federal forces” in the operation against OLF Shane as “encouraging.”
The armed group has kidnapped 17 Dembi Dollo University students, most of whom are female, whose whereabouts remained mysterious.
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The post Ethiopia: Benishangul prison authorities kidnapped in the Oromo region appeared first on Borkena Ethiopian News.