Eight Ethiopians, who have been released recently from Eritrea where they were held for 52 days after being kidnapped by gunmen in an Eritrean government-sponsored act of terrorism arrived in Addis Ababa on Thursday.

Upon arrival at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, the released hostages received warm welcome from families and pertinent bodies.

One of the released hostages, Yonas Mesfin said the hostages suffered from several cruel actions by the kidnappers.

The hostages were forced to travel for five days and nights without shoe to Eritrea after they had been kidnapped in Hamed Illa area, a place in the Afar Regional State very near the Eritrean border.

The prison they were made to stayed in is very hot and uncomfortable, Yonas said.

The Ethiopian hostages were afraid that they might be killed after the release of the European abductees. However, Yonas said, they could be released after 52 days thanks to pressures on the Eritrean government by the government and peoples of Ethiopia.

Hussein Mohammed, another hostage, said his livelihood is based on renting guest house to tourists in Afar State. Some of the European hostages including himself were kidnapped from the house.

The hostages were beaten by gunmen, who wore Eritrean military uniform, while they were kidnapped. The kidnappers were speaking "Tigrigna", he added.

During their stay in prison the officials and soldiers of the Eritrean government had been interrogating each hostage.

Furthermore, the hostages had been threatened by the kidnappers now and then.

Hadji Ali Nure, 60, one of the elders, who contributed a lot for the release of the hostages, said the kidnapers also detained him while he was negotiating.