ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) -The African Development Bank (AfDB) said on Thursday it has lodged a formal complaint with the Ethiopian authorities after two of its staff members were arrested, assaulted and detained by the country’s security forces.
Calling it a “very serious diplomatic incident”, the AfDB said two staff members on Oct. 31 were “unlawfully arrested, physically assaulted, and detained for many hours by elements of the security forces without any official explanation.”
A spokesperson for the Ethiopian government did not respond to a request for comment.
An AfDB statement said the Ethiopian government had extended its support to the bank and promised a speedy investigation. The bank’s operations in the east African country had not been affected by the incident, it added.
A spokesperson for AfDB declined to comment further when asked for more details about the nature of the incident.
Addis Ababa-based affected staff were released after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed learned of the incident, AfDB said, adding it was engaging with the authorities via diplomatic channels.
“For their part, the government has formally acknowledged our complaint, recognised the gravity of the incident, and reassured us that all those involved in breaking the law will be thoroughly investigated.”
The AfDB currently has eight projects in Ethiopia, worth about $308 million, according to its website.
(Reporting by Rachel Savage in Johannesburg and Dawit Endeshaw in Addis Ababa, Writing by Bhargav Acharya; Editing by William Maclean)
Source: Reuters
