By Ebi Kesiena
According to local media reports, a 79-year-old Israeli citizen who was reported kidnapped in Ethiopia three weeks ago, was freed from captivity by Ethiopian Special Forces near the Sudanese border late Monday.
Speaking on the development, the Israeli embassy in Ethiopia noted that Francis Adbabayi was brought to a nearby city and is expected to return to Israel in the coming days.
Adbabayi, who lives in Rishon LeZion, was abducted earlier in July in the Gondar region by a criminal group on his way to visit relatives in Gondar, northern part of the country,
He reportedly sent a voice message to his family, saying, “Help me, I am in the middle of the jungle, heavy rain is pouring. I was supposed to return on Sunday but it seems I will be staying here. I wouldn’t wish this on my enemies.”
Some days later, Israeli and Ethiopian police indicated that they suspected the abduction to be a prank.
Adbabayi’s family allegedly contacted National Unity Party Member, Pnina Tamano-Shata after becoming disillusioned with the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s handling of the matter.
Tamano-Shata, the former immigration and absorption minister, connected them with an Ethiopian-Israeli individual with contacts in the Ethiopian Special Forces, known as the Agazi Commandos, and Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS).
Tamano-Shata confirmed that the Adbabayi was, indeed, kidnapped and that his life was in real danger, as the kidnappers had already taken him toward the Sudanese border.
Adbabayi’s family then held negotiations with the kidnappers, who demanded 2.5 million Ethiopian birr (approximately $44,000), the family stated that they could not afford to pay the sum.
About two weeks ago, negotiations between plainclothes Ethiopian policemen and individuals representing the abductors blew up and ended in a shootout.
Ethiopian authorities simultaneously continued to investigate the incident and arrested a number of people connected to the kidnappers, leading to Monday’s operation and another shootout during which Adbabayi was freed, according to reports.
