Disclaimer: This is an English translation of an Amharic article taken from BBC Amharic and is intended solely for information purposes.
BBC Amharic - Four Youth Were Abducted and Taken Away by “Tigray Militants” in Alamata, Say Family Members
July 22, 2024
Four residents of Alamata town were “abducted and taken away by Tigray militants” for “their involvement in the identity recognition movement” say family members and witnesses who were abducted and released who spoke to BBC.
The Tigray Region Alamata city mayor on their end said there no “abductions or captives” outside of militia members were seized for “inciting unrest” and transferred to custody of federal security forces.
Alamata town is among the areas of Raya contested between the Amhara and Tigray Regions, and four youth residents of the town were taken by militants last week on Friday, July 19, 2024 (Hamle 12, 2016 EC) say six family members and eyewitnesses.
According to the family members, the youth who organized to work in loading vehicles were taken by the militants in the “Kebele 04” area of the town.
The four youths were named Abdi Fentaw, Ambachew Haile, Kedir Nuraddis and Moges Melese and they were abducted by “Tigray militants” according to three family members of the victims and eyewitnesses.
BBC spoke to residents who said the Tigrayan militants entered the town after the Amhara Region administration officials who were administering the town since the Northern Ethiopia War left the town. After this transpired, the National Defense Force and Federal Police took control of the security situation in the town.
When this transpired on Friday, a total of nine people including the four youth were unloading items from a truck in the area according to an eyewitness who was with them at the time. The eyewitness who opted for anonymity said, “as we finished unloading the truck…we were told ‘there are people approaching, wait, sit down’ our phones were taken away, we sat down and waited. Then [the militants] came” they said, describing the situation.
The eyewitness said “at least six militants armed with kalashnikovs and two officials” came to the area and explained the youth were separated in two groups of five and four.
The four youth who were placed in one group “had participated in the identity recognition protest taking photographs and posting them on Facebook” says the eyewitness, who said for this reason they believed they were separated.
Three sources who are family members of the youth said they believed the youth could have been separated by the militants for their participation in the movement. Another three family members on their end said they were unaware of any reason why the youth would be separated.
The nine individuals were separated into two groups by the militants and were taken to a nearby technical and skills training institute recalls the eyewitness. Town residents had previously told BBC starting from the month of Miyazia the institute’s courtyard was among areas where “Tigray militants settled after entering the town”.
When it became known that the nine individuals had been taken to the training institute, local residents raised the issue to members of the National Defense Force and Federal Police says one family member of the youth. He mentioned that Federal Police members went to the area based on this information.
The Federal Police members who traveled to the courtyard of the institute left with five members from one of the groups says the eyewitness who was in the group. They mentioned when they raised the issue that four youth still remained but they “did not receive a response” from the Federal Police members.
After this transpired they were unaware of what circumstances the four youth were under, the six family members told BBC.
The mother of one of the youth said “when I was told ‘your child is in the technical and skills area’ I went there but they beat me too. Afterwards there was no way to see my child” she said explaining her efforts.
After the youth were taken by the militants on Friday afternoon residents came out to protest in an area of the town called “Adebabaye” but they were forcibly dispersed by the National Defense Force according to four residents. At this time security forces “took measures” which resulted in casualties.
Two family members who notified federal security forces of the issue of the youth in the town say they were told “we are following the matter”.
The Tigray Region’s Alamata city mayor Ato Zinabu Desta denied the allegation that the fourth youth residents “were being held captive by Tigray Region militants”.
Despite this in the area of “the camp where the city militias who returned from displacement” five individuals were seized by the militias “for inciting unrest, including shooting handguns and kalashnikovs” and were handed over to federal security forces in the city.
When Ato Zinabu explained the situation he said, “there are five people being held. He was asked ‘it is four’. ‘This is not true you are wrong. They are five who were transferred’ the federal police said before transferring them and leaving.”
Militias in the area previously captured people who “carried out theft” using similar means recalled the mayor who denied the allegation saying however outside of this, “no persons have been abducted or taken captive”.
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