After a week, more news has emerged regarding the minibus abducted near the capital of Ethiopia last week. Sources indicate that the abductors have set a ransom price for the families of the 58 hostages. Each person may need to pay hundreds of thousands to 1.5 million in local currency to return home.
On the morning of Monday, March 17, 2025, three minibuses, privately owned by Abay Bus, Felege Ghion Bus, and Habesha Bus respectively, which were departing from the capital, were stopped by armed kidnappers near the town of Arero. Although there was an exchange of fire between local government soldiers and the kidnappers, and two of the passenger minibuses managed to escape, more than 50 passengers and the driver on one of the vehicles were taken to an unknown location. An eyewitness at the scene of the incident said that the armed men who carried out the abduction were numerous and well - armed.
Half of the kidnappers exchanged gunfire with the special forces, while the other half beat the passengers on the bus, forced them to get off, and then took the hostages into the mountains. Currently, no one knows where they are. A truck driver following the vehicle involved in the incident said that the incident occurred in the town of Arero. "The attack took place in Arero. It's a place below East Fabrica after leaving Fitche," he said. The eyewitness, who was driving a heavy - duty truck at that time, recalled that after hearing gunshots, he decided to change direction and observe from a distance. "We were very close to the bus, not far behind it. We were carrying a heavy load. When the gunshots rang out, we stopped, turned around, and watched from a distance," he said, adding that the bus was forced to stop due to the gunshots.
An elderly person who perhaps couldn't keep up with the group was shot and killed at the scene. Most of the people taken away were women. A local resident, when interviewed by the media, said that the attack was related to ethnicity, and the victims seemed to be all Amhara people. The vehicle was a bus traveling from Addis Ababa to Debre Markos in the Dehamu district of the North Shewa zone in the Oromia region. Most of the passengers on the bus were people who had gone to the capital to buy things and were on their way back home.
The town of Arero is located in the north of Addis Ababa, about 150 kilometers away from the capital, a journey of more than three hours. In July last year, more than 176 local college students on their way home from school were also abducted here. At that time, a ransom of 700,000 Ethiopian birr was demanded for each hostage. Although the local government quickly responded that the hostages had been rescued, the families disagreed with this statement. As time passed and ransoms were paid, some students gradually returned home, and there were also cases where people did not come back even after the money was paid.
"Such incidents happen almost every day. The government does not provide protection and safety for its citizens." Locals complain that kidnappings targeting civilians often occur here but are often concealed. Survivors and the local government say that this is the work of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), an anti - government organization. This kind of kidnapping for ransom can bring economic benefits without being particularly dangerous, and it is one of the ways favored by ethnic armed groups to obtain income. The OLA is a radical armed group of the Oromo people, the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia. They claim to be fighting for national self - determination. They have occupied places dozens of kilometers away from the capital.
The Oromo Liberation Army has been listed as a terrorist organization by the Ethiopian Federal Parliament. Its activities are widespread in various regions of the Oromia region, including the area where Arero, the location of this incident, is located. But like the incident in July last year, the OLA also pointed the finger at the government, claiming that the Ethiopian government has its own organizations engaged in kidnappings, arson, and killings and blames them on the OLA.
Currently, the Ethiopian National Defense Force in the north is in a multi - front combat state. Their opponents include the Tigrayans in the northeast, the Fano in the west, and the Oromo people in this area. At the time of this kidnapping incident, the Ethiopian National Defense Force had just announced a major military victory over the Oromo Liberation Army in this region. However, the response of the local government and the federal government to this newly occurred kidnapping case is "under investigation." Reports from relevant Ethiopian departments show that similar cases have been increasing since last year.
At the beginning of this month, in the adjustment of the travel risk levels in various parts of Ethiopia by the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia, the entire Amhara region, the areas north of the A4 highway (including) and west of the A3 highway (including) in the Oromia region, as well as the four areas of Horo Guduru Welega, East Welega, West Welega, and Kelam Welega in this region, the area west of the Tekeze River in the Tigray region and the areas at the junctions of this region with the Amhara region and Eritrea, the area at the junction of the Afar region and the Amhara region, and the area at the junction of the Somali region and the Federal Republic of Somalia. The Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia reminds Chinese citizens not to travel to the above - mentioned areas in the near future. Personnel and institutions already in the local area should evacuate or transfer to safe areas as soon as possible.
