Swiss diplomat shot in Ethiopia

Security in Addis Ababa is an increasing concern

By Nita Bhalla in Addis Ababa

Ethiopia's diplomatic community is in shock after an assassination attempt on Switzerland's charge d'affaires in Addis Ababa.

It's an expression of rage

European diplomat

Christina Siegrist was shot twice in the head outside her home on Friday afternoon, Addis Ababa police said.

The gunman, Belay Kebede, who was a former employee, who then committed suicide by turning the gun on himself.

Ms Siegrist is said to be in a critical condition and was airlifted out of the country on Saturday.

Ms Siegrist, who is in her late 40s, was followed from the chancery to her residence by Mr Kebede, who shot her with a small revolver.

Sources say Ms Siegrist was rushed to Black Lion Hospital in the centre of town, where she taken into intensive care.

The motive for the assassination is not yet known but police say Mr Belay, who used to undertake maintenance activities on a contractual basis for the Swiss embassy, had his contract terminated four months ago due to his poor performance.

Sources speculated that disgruntled by his predicament, Mr Belay vented his frustrations on Ms Siegrist, who is currently heading the embassy until a new ambassador arrives.

Turmoil

In recent months Ethiopia has been facing political and economic turmoil.

Ethiopians are witnessing an internal power struggle in the government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, as well as growing dissent from students and opposition.

In April, tensions surfaced when thousands of unemployed youths took to the streets, rioting and looting.

Over 30 died and millions of dollars of damaged was caused.

But the government last month had real cause for concern when the head of security, Kinfe Gebre Medhin, who was also a close ally of the prime minister was gunned down.

The assassination has created a tense and uneasy feeling in the capital.

Link to unrest?

The news of this latest shooting has shocked many, especially Ethiopia's diplomatic community, which is the largest in Africa with over 100 countries represented.

Diplomats today speculated that the shooting could be linked to recent events in the country.

"It shows the underlying tensions in the country at the moment. People are frustrated by the lack of jobs, the standard of living and no opportunities. It's an expression of rage," said one European diplomat.

The proliferation of small arms, left over from the overthrow of former President Mengistu in 1991, also poses a serious problem in the country.

Presently there are thousands of small arms unaccounted for, and authorities continue to battle for methods to monitor ownership.

Although most are concerned about the situation, diplomats say that they will not be increasing security around their embassies.

However, they say they will continue to monitor the situation in the country.