Britons among Ethiopia 'kidnapped'

Updated 23.51 Fri Mar 02 2007

Keywords: British, missing, foreigners, Ethiopia, French

Several Britons with links to the government are among a group of western tourists believed to have been kidnapped in Ethiopia, the Foreign Office has said.

The Britons, part of a group of around 15 foreigners, were on a trip to look at geological sites 500 miles north of the capital Addis Ababa.

The Ethiopian government said it was aware of this week's incident, but could not confirm if it was a kidnapping

They have links to the Foreign Office, British Council and the Department for International Development (DfID), the Foreign Office said.

Separatist rebels are known to operate in the arid north-east Afar region, considered to be one of the world's most hostile terrains.

They started a low-level rebellion against the government in the 1990s, calling for a separate Afar state.

The Foreign Office has also changed its advice for people travelling to Ethiopia. "Pending further clarification, we advise against all travel to the Afar and Danakil regions of north eastern Ethiopia," a statement said.

Afar is one of the poorest regions in Ethiopia. Its population is mostly made up of roaming herders and tribespeople who scrape together a living with sheep and goats.

In 1995, nine Italian tourists were captured by Afar tribesmen in the desert, then released two weeks later.

The Ethiopian government said it was aware of this week's incident, but could not confirm if it was a kidnapping.