April 9, 2007
Ashenafe Mekonen
This is the first photo that I have come across of Ashenafe Mekonen, the tour guide kidnapped alongside five European travellers in Ethiopia's remote Afar region in early March.
The five Europeans - three Brits, one Italian and one French woman - were released two weeks later after diplomatic pressure from their governments.
But nothing has been heard of Ashenafe and eight other Ethiopians taken with him.
Ashenafe is in his early 20s and was orphaned by the 1984 'Live Aid' famine in Ethiopia. He was brought up in an orphanage in central Ethiopia before moving to Addis to start working as a freelance guide/cook in the travel industry. His many friends in the capital are clubbing together to pay his rent until he returns.
The other captives include Ashenafe's friend Debash Baye, another Addis man who was working as a mechanic, and seven Afar men. One of those Afar men in believed to have volunteered to go with the captives to show solidarity with them.
Anyone wanting to join a non-political campaign to press for Ashenafe's release can send an email to the 'Free the Ethiopian Captives Committee' at freetheethiopiancaptives@gmail.com.
Posted by aheavens at April 9, 2007 8:04 AM