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Swiss diplomat shot in Ethiopia arrives back in Switzerland

A Swiss diplomat, who was followed to her house in Addis Abeba, was shot twice Keystone Archive

Switzerland's charge d'affaires in Ethiopia, Christina Siegrist, who was shot on Friday morning has arrived back in Switzerland for hospital treatment.

The Federal Office for Foreign Affairs confirmed she was in a stable condition and had been transfered to a Swiss hospital.

Siegrist was shot twice in the head by Belay Kabede, a maintenance worker whose contract with the Swiss embassy in the capital, Addis Abeba, was terminated four months before it was due to expire because of unsatisfactory work.

“As far as I know, our interim charge d’affaires was on her way back home when she was shot twice by a man who did some work for the Swiss embassy”, Ruedi Christen, spokesman for the foreign ministry told swissinfo.

He added that the act was not politically motivated, and would have no repercussions on diplomatic ties with Ethiopia.

After attacking the charge d’affaires, Kabede turned the gun on himself and committed suicide.

Medical specialists at a clinic in Addis Abeba said the Swiss diplomat had two bullets lodged in her head close to her eyes. However, they added that she had not lost much blood, and was able to communicate.

Siegrist was appointed as the charge d’affaires in Ethiopia in May, after Switzerland’s ambassador took up a position in Tripoli.

The new Swiss ambassador to Ethiopia is René Schaetti.

swissinfo with agencies

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