Three Sudanese kidnapped by Ethiopian militia

On Friday, angry protestors in El Gedaref blocked the main border between Sudan and Ethiopia at El Galabat in protest against the kidnapping of three Sudanese by Ethiopian militiamen (shifta*).

The Ethiopian militia kidnapped three residents of East El Galabat on Monday. The kidnappers are demanding a ransom of SDG 800,000 ($17,780**) for their release.

The Ethiopian militia has been regularly committing human rights violations such as kidnapping and assaulting civilians along the border between Sudan and Ethiopia.

As reported by Radio Dabanga last week, Ethiopian bandits killed Ahmed Jaafar at Barka Nurein village of El Gureisha locality in El Gedaref.

A listener told Radio Dabanga that the Sudanese-Ethiopian border is witnessing continuous tensions between Ethiopian shifta and Sudanese herders against the backdrop of cattle rustling. He called on the government to deter “these Ethiopian outlaws”.

On Wednesday, the relatives of the four young Sudanese men held in El Matamma in Ethiopia filed a complaint to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanding their release. Kawsar El Sajan, a relative of the detainees, told Radio Dabanga that the Ethiopian authorities detained the four youths a month and a half ago, for allegedly crossing the border into Ethiopia illegally.

*Shifta is a term used throughout East Africa for a rebel, outlaw, or bandit

**As effective foreign exchange rates can vary in Sudan, Radio Dabanga bases all SDG currency conversions on the daily US Dollar rate quoted by the Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS)

Radio Dabanga’s editorial independence means that we can continue to provide factual updates about political developments to Sudanese and international actors, educate people about how to avoid outbreaks of infectious diseases, and provide a window to the world for those in all corners of Sudan. Support Radio Dabanga for as little as €2.50, the equivalent of a cup of coffee.