Tourists on Ethiopian trek killed by gunmen

Gunmen have attacked European tourists in Ethiopia, spraying the group with bullets as they desperately tried to flee.

Two Germans, two Hungarians and an Austrian were killed when a group of 22 tourists were held up by bandits before dawn in the arid north of the country.

Two Ethiopians and two Germans were also taken hostage and an Italian and Hungarian were wounded. No group has yet claimed responsibility.
Ethiopian communications minister Bereket Simon claimed "some groups trained and armed by the Eritrean government" attacked the tourists about 15 miles from the border. He said: "The attack occurred at 5am on Tuesday, in which Eritrean-trained groups also kidnapped four. Two of them are foreigners, one is a driver and the other a policeman."

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

Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a border war from 1998 to 2000, claiming the lives of more than 70,000 people. Tension between the East African countries rose last year when a UN report claimed that Eritrea was behind a plot to attack an African Union summit in Ethiopia.

The tourists were visiting a volcanic region in the Afar region, which is known for being one of the hottest places on earth. The province's rock-strewn hills give way to vast deserts below sea level, dry river-beds and acacia thorn trees dot the landscape. Banditry is widespread. Foreigners who venture there usually include researchers, aid workers and adventure tourists visiting wonders such as the Danakil Depression, with its ancient salt mines and volcanoes.

Austrian foreign ministry spokesman Peter Launsky-Tiefenthal said: "The problem is, there is no infrastructure in the area, no telephone lines, satellite phones barely work." He added that the remote area was like "the surface of Mars".

In 2007, five Europeans and 13 Ethiopians were kidnapped in Afar. Ethiopia accused Eritrea but Eritrea blamed an Ethiopian rebel group. All the hostages were released.