Kidnapped Israeli freed in special forces raid in Ethiopia

The 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 on Monday, according to local media reports.

Francis Adbabayi was brought to a nearby city and is expected to return to Israel in the coming days. The Israeli embassy in Ethiopia was updated by the local police about the developments.

Adbabayi, who lives in Rishon Letzion, was abducted earlier in July in the Gondar region by a criminal group that intended to collect ransom money in return for his release. He had been traveling to visit relatives in his native Gondar in the northern part of the country at the time of the incident.

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 hoax.

Adbabayi’s family allegedly contacted National Unity party Knesset 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).

Adbabayi's family then held negotiations with the kidnappers, who demanded 2.5 million Ethiopian birr, (approximately $44,000), according to a Kan news report. 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 Ynet news.

"It's a shame that the Foreign Ministry downplayed the family's claims, and this is not the first case," Tamano-Shata said.

The Knesset member 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.

The Foreign Ministry claimed its Department for Israelis Abroad and the Israeli Consulate in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, were in constant communication with authorities and law enforcement agencies, and had been closely monitoring Adbabayi's situation.