Posted on 07/24/2009 10:41:39 PM PDT by Steelfish
Three Ethiopian exchange students 'vanish' during trip to Houses of Parliament
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
24th July 2009
Three African exchange students have vanished during a trip to the Houses of Parliament.
The three Ethiopian men were among a group of nine visitors who were staying with families in Hartlepool as part of a three-month visit to the UK.
But at the end of a day's tour in the Houses of Commons and Lords, the trio failed to turn up and organisers Global Xchange were forced to report them missing.
Missing: Muluneh Tilahun Abera (left) and Habtamu Debela have not been seen since they went to buy calling cards after visiting the Houses of Parliament
Police and Home Office chiefs are now investigating their disappearance. Organisers say their main concern is for the safety of the men, who have been named as Zerihun Weldeyohans, 24, Habtamu Debela, 27, and 21-year-old Muluneh Tilahun Abera.
They had left the rest of the group to buy telephone calling cards at around 6pm, but did not rejoin their group or return to their London hotel.
Concerns grew when they failed to turn up for the 11am journey to Hartlepool the following morning.
All have valid visas which run until September 9. The Global Xchange programme involves 18 volunteers, nine from the UK and nine from Ethiopia, living in Hartlepool while working for community organisations.
Zerihun is based at Cafe 177 and Headline Futures, Habtamu at the West View Project, while Muluneh has been working at Hartlepool United's study support centre.
A statement released by the organisers said the men went missing on July 15.
It read: 'All three are male and aged between 21 and 24. The group had been on a trip to London to visit the Houses of Parliament.
hhhhhmmmmmm.... did they check the local Muslim prayer rooms?
Heck I’d run too rather than go back to Ethiopia.
2 photos here:
#
Additional link:
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/116281/Students-vanish-on-trip-to-the-Commons
“STUDENTS VANISH ON TRIP TO THE COMMONS”
Saturday July 25,2009
By Mark Blacklock
SNIPPET: “The three, Zerihun Weldeyohans, 24, Habtamu Debela, 27, and Muluneh Tilahun Abera, 21, are all from Ethiopia and have visas to stay in the UK until September 9.”
Maybe they just wanted out. They are all in their twenties.
/
Cell phones eh....
Good thing its not November 5th.
Check the Back Bench!
Sometime in the near future, a news article will be written and it will be titled:
Three Ethiopian exchange students blow up the Houses of Parliament
They had left the rest of the group to buy telephone calling cards in order to detonate the bombs they are carrying in their backpacks.
Looking at the pictures of the two “missing” students, they look like perfect candidates to suicide bombers.
What exploded?
Nothing yet, apparently.
FYI, most Ethiopians are Christians. Don’t know about these three but they don’t have typical Moslem names.
Not likely, Ethiopians are not by and large Muslim. They may be held there, though.
Not one answers to Mohammed or Hussein.
UPDATE:
Note: Photos included.
http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/Missing-African-turns-up-in.5504834.jp
“Missing African turns up in London”
Published Date: 29 July 2009
SNIPPET: “ONE of the African exchange volunteers that went missing following a tour of the Houses of Parliament has been sent home after contacting organisers.
Zerihun Weldeyohans Alaro, who was staying in Hartlepool under the Global Xchange programme, was one of three men that went missing during the London trip. The 24-year-old Ethiopian contacted organisers over the weekend to say he had been staying with family in London and that he wished to return to the programme.
However, organisers had other ideas and he was placed in a hostel before being flown back to Ethiopia on Monday night.
The other men, Habtamu Debella, 27, and Muluneh Tilahun, 21, are still missing and Mr Alaro has told organisers he has had no contact with them and has no idea where they are.”
SNIPPET:””Zerihun Yohannes made contact with the organisers over the weekend and requested to be allowed to participate in the rest of the exchange, which is due to run until the end of August.
“However, the decision was taken to decline this request and he departed the UK on the evening of Monday, July 27. Zerihun had been staying with family who are residents of the UK.
“He has been questioned by organisers of the programme as to the whereabouts of the two missing volunteers but he has not had any contact with Habtamu Debella and Muluneh Tilahun since Wednesday, July 15.”
Neither have the men made contact with the organisers since they disappeared after going to buy telephone calling cards in the South Bank area of London.”
Last Updated: 29 July 2009 1:04 PM
Source: n/a
Location: Hartlepool
Previously...
http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/Missing-man-34spotted34-in-Sweden.5494050.jp
“Missing man ‘spotted’ in Sweden”
Published Date: 25 July 2009
SNIPPET: “AN exile now living in Sweden believes she may have spotted one of the African exchange volunteers who went missing almost two weeks ago.
Sarah Carlsson, who used to live in Peterlee but now lives in Stockholm, contacted the Mail after reading about the missing trio on our website.
Our article last Thursday reminded the 35-year-old of a man she had seen earlier that week who matched the description of the missing
men.
What added to the mystery was that the man she saw, who she says was in his late 20s, was wearing a T-shirt with “Hartlepool” written across it.”
SNIPPET: “Ms Carlsson, a regular reader of the Mail’s website, said: “I saw a man in the Old Town area of Stockholm. He attracted my attention because he was wearing a ‘Hartlepool’ T-shirt which looked to be brand new.
“It was black with a design on the front and ‘Hartlepool’ written in large stark white calligraphy style. It is not usual to see people in Stockholm in T-shirts emblazoned with Hartlepool, which is why it caught my attention.
“He was obviously a visitor to the city though, taking photographs in the area, coincidentally enough, close to the Swedish Houses of Parliament.”
The Global Xchange volunteers visited London for a tour of the Houses of Parliament.
But when the three men failed to show up afterwards they were reported missing to police by programme organisers.
The trio went missing on Wednesday, July 15 and Ms Carlsson spotted the man at around midday on Tuesday, July 21.
A spokesman for Cleveland Police said: “We welcome any information like this and we would urge anyone who may have further information to get in touch.””
SNIPPET: “Anyone with information is asked to call Hartlepool Police on (01642) 326326.”
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Last Updated: 27 July 2009 9:59 AM
Source: n/a
Location: Hartlepool
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