Six workers from the Aluto-Langano Geothermal Project were abducted by an armed group near the geothermal site in the Oromia region, located 216 km southeast of Addis Ababa, according to local media reports. The workers were kidnapped at gunpoint a few days ago while they were in four-wheel-drive vehicles en route to the Aluto-Langano Geothermal Project. According to the report, one of the hostages was a Kenyan national.

Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP), a state-owned company, released a statement yesterday, confirming its cooperation with the pertinent authorities to ensure the safe release of the hostages. The EEP statement emphasized, “We are in close coordination with the relevant authorities, local elders, and Aba Gedas to facilitate the release of those who have been abducted.”

It is widely believed that the Oromo Liberation Army, Shene, is responsible for the kidnapping, as it is an active armed group in the area.

The demanded ransom for the release of these hostages is 60 million birr, equating to 10 million birr for each individual, according to Elias Meseret, a journalist who first broke the news.

This kidnapping is among several incidents that have occurred in the restive region over the past year.