John

Ten French tourists were kidnapped Thursday in northern Ethiopia, a businessman and a tour operator who work in the region said.

The tourists were in a convoy of four vehicles in Dalol, 500 miles northeast of Addis Ababa, traveling to salt mines in the Afar region, when they were kidnapped, said the businessman.

Both he and a tour operator spoke on condition of anonymity because of the issue's sensitivity.

One tourist escaped, reached another tourist group and made a satellite phone call to authorities to report the kidnapping, the businessman said.

Bereket Simon, special adviser to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, said he was checking into the situation, but could not confirm anything as yet.

In Paris, Foreign Ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei said French Ambassador Stephane Gompertz in Addis Ababa was trying to verify the report with Ethiopian officials.

A tour operator who has tourists in the area was also aware of the details and said the group was assumed to be kidnapped.

The operator said that the tourists were clients of Origins Ethiopia, a new tour agency specializing in Afar, and officials of the company had told him that they have been unable to contact the tourists.

Origins Ethiopia officials did not immediately comment.

The tourists traveled with two armed police and an Afar guide, the operator said.

They left Mekele on Sunday for a two-day drive to Hamedali, a remote village that is the last staging post before visiting the salt lakes, the operator said.

Then they went on a two-hour drive to Dalol to visit the salt mines and were supposed to return to Hamedali, he said.

Bandits and a small Afar rebel group operates in the area the tourists visited, which is known for its difficult terrain. The government requires all convoys to have a minimum of two cars and always travel with armed guards.

(AP Top News)

__________________

John

British embassy officials and their relatives are among a number of foreign tourists missing and feared kidnapped in a remote part of Ethiopia.

Whitehall officials told the BBC there was "a national security dimension" to their disappearance.


Diplomats in Ethiopia say the tourists were kidnapped in the north-east of the country, 800km (500 miles) from the capital, Addis Ababa.


There are conflicting reports about the exact number of people missing.
One tour operator, Origins Ethiopia, said 10 tourists, whose satellite phone had broken, were now known to be safe.


But some estimates say up to 18 people are still unaccounted for.



(BBC)

__________________

John

The kidnapped Britons are now freed and home.

__________________

judytata11

Good news!!

FlRic

When the local gov't warns of possible trouble in a particular part of the country it is usually wise to heed the warnings.

__________________
Rick. Go to www.yourworldmap.com/show.asp?anv=83 to see a map of my travels.

How DO they get deer to cross the road only at those yellow road signs?

Captain Larry

It's a shame that it is true, but there are just some parts of the world that are not safe for discretionary travel. I know that some people seek the "danger" aspect of travel as part of the excitement, but when one goes against the warnings of his government and travels to an unsafe or unstable part of the world, anything that happens is almost a "self-inflicted" wound. I pray that all captives and hostages, anywhere, of any nationality, be returned home safely. But I also pray that "tourists" will be more careful and prudent in their travels.

__________________
Look here to see what countries I have visited:
http://www.yourworldmap.com/show.asp?anv=82