Disclaimer: This is an English translation of an Amharic article taken from BBC Amharic and is intended solely for information purposes.
BBC Amharic - Ransoms between 500,000 and one million birr demanded for release of students abducted more than 10 days ago
July 12, 2024
It has been more than ten days since university students traveling from Amhara Region to Addis Ababa were abducted in Oromia Region last week on July 2, 2024 (Sene 25, 2016 EC) say parents of students.
According to three parents who spoke to BBC, militants are demanding ransoms between 500,000 and 1 million birr for the release of more than 100 students from Debark University.
Days ago, the Oromia Region Government Communications spokesperson reported through state media that the majority of the abducted students had been released.
The Debark University Evangelical Christian Students Union told BBC the students were still abducted stating that over 150 students could be detained.
Family members of the captives confirmed to BBC that the majority of the students were still being held hostage, and said their captives are pressuring students to ensure the demanded ransoms are paid quickly.
One father whose daughter was abducted and who chose to remain anonymous for her safety said the government is “spreading false news” without freeing the students.
When he heard news that government security forces undertook measures which “freed the students” he thought it was true and when he made a call to confirm he was able to affirm that it was not true.
The Oromia Region Government Communications Bureau Chief Hailu Adugna said, security force took measures “which freed 160 of 167 students” and said efforts were underway to free the remaining students.
“‘All of us youth are together, there is also another group who were being held together like us.’ The government saying only seven people are left is not right” they said criticizing the official. They added “they have not understood the kind of stress and problem we are facing.”
Another parent of an abducted student said, “over 20 students were able to flee towards an army camp, and the captors had separated the hostages by their identification and released some of them.”
They added, “there were some who were released after their ransom was paid and there were some which managed to escape. The government could be counting these to say it released 160 using its own force.”
“But what is spoken in rumors and the actual truth are like ground and sky” said another father of a student who added today [Friday, July 12, 2024 (Hamle 5, 2016 EC)] he was able to speak to her on the phone and managed to confirm she was being held by the captors with a large number of her friends.
He explained they would have phone conversations saying, “I am able to speak with her by the day” and added the hostages were divided into groups and are being held “in the jungle”.
Yesterday (Thursday) the student called using the captors’ phone and they spoke according to the family member who was able to learn she was being held with 44 other students.
He added the ransom demand was in the hundreds of thousands of birr, and though family members made efforts to gather the money and when the news of their “release” came out it made them look like scammers.
“There were people initially willing to help us who later refused when they heard all the hostages had been released. I personally begged people and took their money. Then many people became silent saying they had been released” they said, describing how it became a challenge for them to gather ransom money.
“My child’s mother sold leaves to put her through school” said a family member of an abducted student who added they didn’t have the means to pay a 500,000 birr ransom, saying “we have laid out a mat and begun begging local residents to help us”.
They however stated the amount they managed to raise so far was small.
“[They told us] you must pay one million [birr] and if you fail to pay this amount you will never see your children again” said another family member of an abducted third year student who spoke to their child on the phone on Wednesday.
“We are being held with 37 other students” said the individual adding they did not have the means to pay the ransom.
When the BBC spoke to them, they were in the process of having posters distributed in churches and markets to gather ransom money through a “begging” initiative to “save their child’s life”.
Family members of hostages “are sending whatever money they have in hand pleading for the return of their children” says a member of the Evangelical Christian Students Union adding ransom demands are increasing.
The group member told BBC they had heard two students were freed by their captors after their families paid the ransom.
BBC spoke to family members of hostages who have not yet paid the ransom said the captors are threatening the students and pressuring them.
They gave us a deadline to pay the ransom by Friday (today) said another family member, adding they are threatening the students.
“‘[She said] food is provided once a day, and once every three days they are provided plain injera with mitmita’…we have not been able to speak. The reason being because there could be consequences. Food is not provided properly, they do not get water. They relocate them to different places and subject them to severe hardship.”
Another family member said, “‘If you do not pay money we will make you suffer greatly, there is no escaping from now on, it is now kiremt (rainy season) we will take you to a place you can’t escape from even if we were to tell you to go, from now on we won’t give you any food’ they said, they have now been denied food, the children are suffering.”
One parent of a hostage said they had heard some students were released after payment of the ransom, on Tuesday, July 10, 2024 (Hamle 3, 2016 EC) a girl originally from Addis Ababa was released after paying 400,00 birr.
“What can we do but worry and cry. [Family members] are crying from where they sit” they said describing their family’s current circumstance.
Another family member on their end said , “...we have not brought out a body saying she is dead. We hoped she would somehow escape in the middle, we are struggling as her mother suffers too. Her mother is in a very bad state, we are trying to console her. She has entered into a state of depression. We don’t know what to do.”
The family members said even if they managed to collect enough money they were distressed over how they would even deliver the money.
“They send account information and say you will collect it” says a parent adding they did not receive a bank account number.
“They don’t have an account to deposit the money. We tell them but they respond telling us to be ready. When we asked which account we would use one time they said…we would deliver it in person” says a parent who spoke to BBC.
Family members said they had informed relevant regional and federal authorities of the abduction, however they said they did not receive any solution from the government which had led them to lose all hope in the government.
BBC made efforts to contact Oromia Region Government Communications Services which said on media that the students had been released, local officials from the area the abduction was carried out in, government communications offices and the ministry of education, however none responded to phone calls.
Oromia Communications Bureau Chief Hailu Adugna had delivered a press statement implicating the group the government refers to as “Shene” and which is designated as a terrorist group otherwise known as the Oromo Liberation Army but also said the hostages had been released.
Despite this, days after the abduction the Oromo Liberation Army issued a press statement denying responsibility for the abduction, instead implicating the government.
The group is abducting individuals to acquire money while the government security apparatus is weakened, and “it is possible” these abductions could be carried out by “government forces, local cadres and jobless youth.”
In recent years abductions have been carried out on numerous occasions in areas of the region where the Oromo Liberation Army operates, and abductions have been repeatedly reported where a large number of students are currently being held in North Shewa.
Comments