UK (BBC) — A fourth member of an Ethiopian exchange programme has gone missing from Hartlepool, UK.
Police have launched a missing persons inquiry following the disappearance of Konjit Assefa, 22, who was last seen in the town centre on Tuesday.
Three other members of the nine-strong group, all men in their 20s, vanished while visiting London, though one later made contact and has since left the UK.
Organisers Global Xchange said the incidents were damaging to its work.
The programme is designed to give young people from different countries an opportunity to work on community development projects and promote cross cultural understanding.
A team of 18 young people, nine from Hartlepool and nine from Ethiopia, have been working together for three months in each country.
Phil Hudson, head of Global Xchange, said: “Our primary concern is for the safety of Konjit and we are helping the police with their inquiries.
Others ‘distressed’
“However, we take very seriously any actions that damage the reputation of the programme, which over the past 10 years has had a significant impact on community development and enhanced the skills and perspectives of thousands of young people.”
The organisation will review its security procedures, and give “serious consideration” to which countries it works with in the future, he added.
The remainder of the Ethiopian group are due to fly home on Monday, and are said to be distressed and disappointed.
Those still missing are not yet being treated as illegal immigrants, as they still have visas until mid-September.
Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Ms Assefa should contact Cleveland Police.
4 thoughts on “Another Ethiopian student missing in U.K.”
if i were in their shoe, i would do the same thing to escape the draconian ruling in Ethiopia. sometimes i blame myself for being a naturalized US citizen, but when i hear about these kinds of things, i thank God for bringing me to the US. who doesn’t love to live in his/her country if everything is democratic like the US? Who wants to be here? we all want to be in our country speaking the same language, eating the same food, and breathing the same air. so, i won’t blame these kids.
Thanks
This tittle should have been, ” Another Ethiopian kid got to free himself from genocidal place”.
I feel sorry for the rest of Ethiopian children who are denied freedom to get equal rights for free education, peace, freedom of life happiness to persue their dreams to become the next generation.
Thos who are faced with constant harassements, imprisonments, tortures,killings just because one stood high in his class academically. Free from hatred imposed into their daily routines just because they come from non butchers ethino families. Forced migrations to earn foreign currencies from middle east for dictatorial junta of Tigrean Liberation front.
Ethiopia under Tigrean ruling Junta, is the worst prison place than any nation in this world. Therefore, I solute those who got out without losing their sights, brains, and limbs. You’re a very few that your gurdian angels have kissed you and blessed you. May God be with the ones that are in biggest prison called Ethiopia.
I think these kids are from well-to-do parents, get the best education when they were in Ethiopian, fed good, clothed and sheltered, and they should return to their country. The people of Ethiopia needs these student no matter what the government did or didnot. They were trained and mentored to become ‘community organizers’…so making politicizing their disappearance is nonsense. They all need to return and do their duty.
Hi Dan4Gerji,
First go back to Ethiopia and be mentor for the people. Share your experience.
For sure this guys, to get visa for UK, they must be from someone in good situation.
But if these guys left behind all this opportunity, because of the reason. and imagine thoes how desparate they are the rest of the people.