Ethiopia in contact with kidnappers

Ethiopia said today it was in contact with an armed group that kidnapped five European and eight locals in a remote northern …

Ethiopia said today it was in contact with an armed group that kidnapped five European and eight locals in a remote northern region - but ruled out a military operation to rescue them.

"Those who are responsible are being reached through different channels, and we are hoping that these people would be freed unharmed and safe," foreign minister Seyoum Mesfin told reporters in the northern town of Mekele.

Amid speculation British special forces were in the area, Seyoum said a rescue mission was not being prepared.

"We still have not reached that stage. So let's rule out this option for the moment, because the safety and the security of these people is most important for us," he said.

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Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, meanwhile, arrived today in Mekele where British officials and journalists are waiting for news.

The Westerners were seized by an armed band nine days ago during a tour of the Afar region, one of the hottest and most hostile terrains on earth, inhabited mainly by nomadic herders.

As well as eight Ethiopian translators, drivers and guides, the hostages include three British men, one Italian-British woman, and a French woman.