Kidnappings often take place in Ethiopia, leading to concerns. This month, dozens of passengers in a bus — mostly students — were kidnapped by gunmen in a rural area of Oromia. But this is not the only event of kidnappings in Ethiopia, a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa and one of the fastest-growing economies. Many incidents of kidnappings, which destabilize different communities and regions, impact the economy and bring other devastating effects on individuals and communities, took place in the past, resulting in the deaths of many. Among the regions, Oromia, the largest region of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia that surrounds the capital Addis Ababa, is worst affected by kidnappings.
It is notable that there are legal, conflicts-based and other reasons for rising kidnappings in Ethiopia. Political instability, armed conflicts and ethnic tensions have been playing vital roles in kidnappings. Conflicts in several regions including Tigray and Oromia with different groups, including the Oromo Liberation Army have increased the risk of kidnappings in several regions including the Oriomo region. Additionally, poverty, a lack of law enforcement, corruption and ransom demands are some other crucial reasons. Ethiopia has seen a dramatic surge in kidnapping-for-ransom. Some incidents, including the kidnapping of the employees of Ethiopian Electric Power, involve ransom demands. Among others, the availability of arms and the presence of non-state armed groups in Amhara and Oromia and bordering Sudan are notable causes. Kidnappings are often used in the country as a means to exert power or influence under these contexts.
The government has taken legal and other steps to address the kidnapping problem in Ethiopia, increasing the chance of reducing it at least somewhat. While the government has increased security measures in high-risk areas and brought some kidnappers to justice in combating kidnappings, it has made various peace efforts to resolve conflicts in several regions including Oromia. In 2023, peace talks began between the government and the Oromo Liberation Army in Tanzania. Among others, there are community awareness steps for the public on how to prevent kidnappings and report suspicious activities to authorities. But there are various flaws in the steps taken — leading to a continued increase in kidnapping incidents and causing instability among people — in the country.
There is a lack of efforts to address the availability of arms in Ethiopia. There also remains a lack of coordination between security agencies and insufficient resource allocation for intelligence gathering, needed for fighting kidnappings. But, importantly, there is a failure to address armed conflicts and political instability in different regions including Amhara and cross-border kidnappings, leading to ineffective outcomes of the government efforts. Around three hundred were abducted in the last five years by armed groups from South Sudan. Among others, the root causes of kidnappings such as poverty are not addressed well. Because of the armed conflicts and inadequate development efforts, a significant portion of people fight poverty in Ethiopia.
It is desired that the kidnapping and the reasons for its rise in Ethiopia be addressed. Increasing security measures in high-risk areas and improving intelligence gathering and sharing among law enforcement agencies are vital for fighting kidnappings. Establishing a dedicated task force specifically focused on combating kidnappings and identifying the kidnapping networks will be helpful. But addressing poverty with planned steps that can provide increased economic opportunities in different regions including Oromia is crucial to successfully fight kidnappings. Implementing community awareness campaigns on how to prevent kidnappings may be helpful. Addressing cross-border kidnapping issues is also vital to reduce kidnappings — successfully.
But it is difficult to effectively address the kidnapping problem in Ethiopia without addressing conflicts in various regions. The mitigation of conflicts will be immensely helpful. Promoting dialogue among different ethnic groups including the Oromo Liberation Army, which is often believed to be responsible for kidnappings in the Oriomo regions, and addressing the root causes of grievances will be helpful in reaching peace with rebel groups and fighting kidnappings in Ethiopia.
