Ethiopians “missing” in Eritrea

Recent Ethiopian returnees from Eritrea have expressed concern about the whereabouts of many of their compatriots left behind in Eritrea, the pro-Ethiopian government Walta Information Centre said from Aksum, northern Ethiopia, on 13 August. Returnees Daniel Hadush and Temesghen Teka, former detainees in the Eritrean Adi Abdito detention camp, said Ethiopians abducted by the Eritrean security forces had been accused of spying and causing unrest. They said 10 of their Ethiopian inmates had been picked up from the detention camp by police at night and no-one had known of their whereabouts since, Walta said. They also spoke of four other Ethiopians who were held back by Eritrean security personnel from the bus they had boarded on their repatriation day. According to the returnees, residences and business shops belonging to the missing Ethiopians had been sealed for some time, and were being handed over to military trainees and “loyalists”, the Walta report said.