VOA Tigrigna program reported Eritrean soldiers or armed groups affiliated with the regime in Asmara kidnapped over 85 civilians from Tigrai state northern Ethiopia. Two other individuals were killed when they tried to escape from the armed kidnappers the report added. The civilians who came from all over Ethiopia were working in a traditional gold mining which the government doesn’t approve and consider it illegal, but authorities don’t take any serious measures to prevent illegal mining.

In an interview conducted by VOA Tigrigna program with eye witnesses, the alleged kidnapping took place on January 29, 2008 (E.C) in Wereda Kafta, Humera in the village of Tsirga Girmai.

On the above mentioned date about 400 traditional gold miners were surrounded by a group of armed group who spoke Tigrainga and were wearing Eritrean soldiers uniform. An eyewitness to the horrible event a young man by the name of Halefom Girmai who claims he has escaped from the hands of the Eritrean soldiers said, “The Eritrean soldiers forced the unarmed civilians beating and terrorizing them to cross the Mereb River in to the Eritrean side. Once they were on the Eritrean side the people realize what was happening they were trying to run that is where the Eritrean soldiers shot one of the men killing him in the spot” Halefom added it was in the middle of the day about 7:00pm in the afternoon in Ethiopian time. A young man named Tiku died drowning in the water when he tried to run to safety.

Another witness Mr. Gebreabizgi Nayu a 57 years old local man said the kidnapped people are about  110 people including his nephew  Shumwendi  Zerai Desta were kidnapped by Eritrean soldiers.

Gebre Gebremedhin, the VOA journalist said VOA tried to get a reaction from the Ethiopian government, but they were not successful.

This is not the first time Eritrean government to kidnap Ethiopian civilians, countless times hundreds of Ethiopians have been victims of the Eritrean government.

The late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and the current Prime Minister professed the Ethiopian government will take proportional military action if the Eritrean government takes any destabilizing action against Ethiopia. The question to the Ethiopian prime minister is, does the direct threat of life and safety of Ethiopian citizens qualify as destabilizing the country?

The EPRDF government is losing confidence of the Ethiopian people very fast because the government has measurably failed to guarantee the safety and security of the Ethiopian people. The Ethiopian government should protect the Ethiopian people and sovereignty of the country from Shabiya at any cost.

The EPRDF government’s priority is completely misplaced and it is putting the country in an extremely dangerous situation.

Why send thousands of Ethiopian soldiers to foreign countries as peace keepers, while Ethiopians are living under constant fear of abduction in the middle of the day? Why is the Eritrean government allowed to terrorize Ethiopians in a daily bases?

by-VOA