At least two dead in Ethiopia during protests sparked by the discovery of the body of a kidnapped girl

September 4 (EUROPA PRESS) –

At least two people were killed and two others injured on Tuesday by Ethiopian security forces during protests in the city of Gondar following the discovery of the body of a two-year-old girl who had been kidnapped five days ago and was allegedly murdered by her captors.

The discovery of the body has sparked widespread outrage among the population, who have taken to the streets at a time when organised crime and kidnappings have increased in the city, the Ethiopian newspaper ‘Addis Standard’ reported.

The kidnappers abducted the girl on 28 August and contacted her father, threatening to harm her if she went to the police and demanding one million birr (around 8,000 euros), a figure they eventually lowered to 300,000 birr (around 2,400 euros), although the parents ended up paying the sum of 200,000 birr (1,600 euros).

It is noteworthy that Deputy Commissioner Ayelgne Taklo of the Gondar Police Department has reported that more than 60 kidnappings have taken place in recent weeks, most of them against women and children.