Addis Ababa, April 29: Seven Chinese workers captured
in a rebel attack last week on an oil plant in Ethiopia in
which 77 people died have been released, Ethiopian officials
and the kidnappers said on Sunday.
"We have released the Chinese at 2:00 pm (1630 IST)
today to the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross),"
said Abderahmane Mahdi, the London-based spokesman for the
Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF).
"They are safe and well they are now on their way to
Jijiga," the provincial capital of Somali state in
Southeastern Ethiopia and home to the Ogaden rebels, Mahdi
said.
One Somali and one Ethiopian captured in Tuesday's dawn
raid were also freed, he said.
The ICRC in Addis Ababa confirmed that the workers had
been handed over and said it would issue more details later in
the day.
An official with the agency said the hostages were in
good health and were headed for Jijiga.
A temporary ceasefire was arranged between the ONLF and
the Ethiopian Army -- with the ICRC acting as mediator -- to
facilitate the handover, Mahdi said.
The Ethiopian Information Ministry confirmed their
release and again accused arch-foe Eritrea, with whom they
have a long-running border dispute, of being behind the raid.
"The release of the kidnapped came through the joint
efforts made by Ethiopian Somali elders and the ICRC. Released
hours ago, the released hostages have now arrived at the town
of Degehabur," it said in a statement.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, April 29, 2007, 00:00