Ethiopia attack: British survivor endures 12-hour ordeal on volcano

Briton and other survivors were stranded on edge of the Erta Ale crater after ambush that left five Europeans dead 

guardian.co.uk, William Davison in Addis Ababa and David Smith in Johannesburg, Thursday 19 January 2012

Some of the group that were attacked in Ethiopia prepare to depart from
 Bole airport in Addis Ababa. Photograph: Jenny Vaughan/AFP/Getty Images

A British tourist was among a group that endured a 12-hour ordeal on the edge of an Ethiopian volcano after a terrifying ambush that left five Europeans dead.

Two Germans and two Ethiopians were kidnapped in the pre-dawn attack on Tuesday in one of the world's lowest and hottest regions, known as the Danakil Depression. The search for the gunmen and hostages continues.

The group of 27 tourists had been visiting the Erta Ale volcano, one of Ethiopia's most active, in the northern Afar region. Armed escorts had remained at the bottom of the volcano, as is common practice.

"They trekked up the volcano alone before bedding down," said a diplomatic source in Addis Ababa. "They were unguarded overnight."

Ethiopian authorities have said the group was targeted by as many as 40 attackers.

After the incident, the middle-aged British tourist and other survivors were stranded on the edge of the Erta Ale crater for more than 12 hours, the source said. It was not clear why the security team failed to launch a search party for them.

Finally the group managed to make contact with a German tour company that contacted the German embassy in Addis Ababa to organise a helicopter rescue.

The UK citizen was medevaced from the city of Mekele on Thursday to an unidentified neighbouring country to seek treatment. There is no indication of whether he suffered bullet wounds.

"He has been through a very serious ordeal," the diplomatic source said. "He is in a serious, but stable condition."

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that a British national was involved in an incident on January 17 in Danakil. We are providing consular assistance."

Two Germans, two Hungarians and an Austrian were killed, according to Interpol. Two German tourists and an Ethiopian policeman and driver were abducted.

Authorities in Afar said they have sent elders to try to secure the release of the hostages. Ismael Ali Sero, president of the Afar Region, told state-run Ethiopian Television: "The region is doing all it can to have them released."

Ali Sero did not disclose whether the group had already made contact with the captors or if officials had located their hideout. The Ethiopian government said those kidnapped have been taken across the border into Eritrea, about 12 to 15 miles away.

In 2007, a group including British embassy staff from Addis Ababa was taken hostage in the region and released a week later via the Eritrean capital, Asmara.

Some of this week's tourists were said to be travelling with Addis Ababa-based Green Land Tours and Travel. Others were booked by a company in Germany called Diamir. The company said it deeply regretted what had happened and that it had no previous indication of risk to guests' security in the region.

A Hungarian, a Belgian and a citizen of another country who resides in Brussels were wounded in the attack and have been taken to a hospital in Mekele, northern Ethiopia's biggest city.

The incident has sparked a fresh war of words between Ethiopia and its neighbour, Eritrea. The Ethiopian government said: "It is already clear that the attack was carried out with the direct involvement of the Eritrean government."

Ethiopia "will be obliged to take whatever action is necessary to stop the activities of the Eritrean regime once and for all unless the international community assumes its responsibilities and takes the necessary steps to bring this abominable behaviour to an end," it added.

Eritrea's ambassador to the African Union, Girma Asmerom, has said the allegations are an "absolute lie" and that the attack was an internal Ethiopian matter.

The two countries fought a border war from 1998 to 2000, claiming the lives of about 80,000 people.

The only foreigners who normally venture into the Afar region 

are researchers, aid workers and adventure tourists visiting 

geographical wonders such as the Danakil depression. 

Photograph: Alamy

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