SEATTLE (Ethiomedia) – Ethiopian rebels on Sunday said they were responsible for the January 17 attack near the famed Arta-Ale Volcano but blamed Ethiopian forces for the deaths of five European nationals.
The Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front (ARDUF), a rebel group fighting for greater autonomy for their region, said a battle broke out when their patrolling unit came under attack by Ethiopian forces.
ARDUF said 16 Ethiopian soldiers were killed, about a dozen others wounded and an unspecified number taken captive.
Afars are ferociously proud of their hospitable culture, and sent out messages of condolence to the families who lost their loved ones.
“We regret the death of those innocent civilians. ARDUF would like to convey its sincere condolence and sympathy to the families and relatives of dead peaceful tourists,” the Front said.
ARDUF also said the German nationals as well as Ethiopian soldiers, whom it said were in safe hands, would be released once peaceful mediation was conducted by Afar elders.
Tourists from the group who were attacked in Ethiopia’s northern Afar region arrive in Addis Ababa on January 18. (AFP Photo/Jenny Vaughan) Though Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of the attacks, ARDUF categorically denied of Eritrean government involvement.
“The fighting occurred between ARDUF and TPLF led Ethiopian forces. Both European Nationals and Ethiopian soldiers were killed in battle with ARDUF. Therefore Ethiopian accusation of Eritrea of arming and training Afar Rebel (ARDUF) is baseless and unfounded,” it said.
ARDUF said the European nationals were killed by Ethiopian forces who were accompanying them.
Showing a footage of European nationals on state-owned Ethiopian TV while saying nothing about the soldiers killed and captured by ARDUF was aimed at criminalizing us first and exonerating the criminals second, ARDUF said.
“We can also confirm that European Nationals were absolutely killed by the Ethiopian forces who were accompanying them. TPLF–State-ETV [state-owned tv] showing only European Nationals on TV, while they kept their dead soldiers and injured secret in order to criminalize us first, illegalize our legitimate political demand second; and to terrorize Afar people in the region further in the name of fighting terrorism ,” the rebels said in their statement.
ARDUF had about seven times captured foreign nationals who had ventured into the Danakil Depression but had released their captives without any harm whatsoever.
The latest deadliest attack has sparked fears that the two neighboring countries may go back to war reminiscent of the 1998-2000 war in which over 70,000 soldiers were killed from both sides.
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