India is working to bring home four Indian nationals from Punjab who were kidnapped in Ethiopia and rescued by Ethiopian law enforcement agencies earlier this month. All four are safe, the Embassy of India in Addis Ababa said in a statement reported on Thursday.
The rescue
The four were kidnapped on the night of September 25 and freed on October 1 in an operation by Ethiopian law enforcement. The embassy said it had remained in constant contact with local authorities to facilitate the rescue.
After consular access was granted, embassy officers met the four on October 14 and provided Indian food and basic amenities. Arrangements for their repatriation to India are now underway, according to the Economic Times and IANS reports of the embassy statement.
Diplomatic backdrop
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos in Addis Ababa on October 9 to discuss bilateral cooperation, five days before consular officers were allowed to meet the rescued nationals.
What is not known
The identities of the four men, their exact whereabouts and the circumstances of the kidnapping have not been disclosed, and there is no official word on who was behind the abduction or the motive. In line with official practice, their identities are being withheld pending their return.
Sources:
- Economic Times: India working to bring back 4 nationals rescued in Ethiopia after being kidnapped
- IANS: Four Punjab residents kidnapped in Ethiopia rescued
The rescue
The four were kidnapped on the night of September 25 and freed on October 1 in an operation by Ethiopian law enforcement. The embassy said it had remained in constant contact with local authorities to facilitate the rescue.
After consular access was granted, embassy officers met the four on October 14 and provided Indian food and basic amenities. Arrangements for their repatriation to India are now underway, according to the Economic Times and IANS reports of the embassy statement.
Diplomatic backdrop
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos in Addis Ababa on October 9 to discuss bilateral cooperation, five days before consular officers were allowed to meet the rescued nationals.
What is not known
The identities of the four men, their exact whereabouts and the circumstances of the kidnapping have not been disclosed, and there is no official word on who was behind the abduction or the motive. In line with official practice, their identities are being withheld pending their return.
Sources:
- Economic Times: India working to bring back 4 nationals rescued in Ethiopia after being kidnapped
- IANS: Four Punjab residents kidnapped in Ethiopia rescued
