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By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
January 25, 2012 (ADDIS ABABA) — An Eritrean opposition group claims that the attack on tourists in the Afar region of Ethiopia, committed by Eritrea-based Ethiopian rebels, was coordinated by Eritrean intelligence.
The Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO) claim the attack on 17 January in which five tourists were killed and four taken hostage, which the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front (ARDUF) has claimed responsibility for, was orchestrated by Eritrea.
The Ethiopian government blamed Eritrea for the incident, releasing a statement describing its “tolerance towards a regime that openly supports terrorist activity” as “wearing thinner by the day".
Eritrea denies involvement.
ARDUF, a rebel group fighting for greater autonomy for the Afar region, released a statement on Sunday admitting to abducting two Germans and two Ethiopians but denied killing the five European tourists; blaming Ethiopian forces for their deaths during the fire fight.
In a statement, RSADO said its intelligence on ground has revealed that the assailants were trained and funded by the Eritrean government in Damqo, in the Danakil region.
It also claims that “the chief operators of this terrorist attack are Eritrea’s intelligence Chief Wedi- Ferow (in charge in Assab, Dankalia) and Colonel Debesay”, and that the attackers remain at large inside Eritrea, under the protection of the state .
On 19 January Ethiopia authorities in Afar region said they had sent elders to negotiate with the group for a safe release of the abducted.
The Ethiopia ministry of foreign affairs in a press release on Tuesday insisted Eritrea is behind attack in an attempt to tarnish country’s image ahead of the AU Summit taking place in Addis Ababa.
According to RSADO, when the Eritrean government were informed that the victims of the attack were foreign nationals, it ordered the ARDUF to announce responsibility for the attack.
Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 but the two neighbours have become bitter adversaries since. During 1998-2000, the two rivals fought a bloody border war which killed at least 70,000 people.
In a similar incident in 2007, ARDUF separatists kidnapped five Europeans and eight Ethiopians.
(ST)
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