A Briton working for an oil company has been shot dead in Ethiopia, the Foreign Office has confirmed.
The 39-year-old geologist was killed on Monday near Danot, a town in the Warder zone of Ethiopia, in the conflict-stricken Ogaden region.
He worked for IMC Geophysics International - which was subcontracted to Malaysian oil giant Petronas.
It is believed he was attacked while driving alone in what officials have called an "act of banditry".
Full inquiry
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We can confirm the death of a British national on 5 April near Danot town in the Warder zone of Ethiopia.
"Next of kin have been informed and we have offered the family full consular assistance.
"The Ethiopian authorities are carrying out a full inquiry and we are liaising closely with them".
Bereket Simon, Ethiopia's communications minister, said the man had not taken the appropriate "security measures" and was driving alone.
He said: "We have reports that the incident has occurred and is an act of banditry.
"Following the act the local militia had confronted the perpetrators and had taken measures on them.
"We understand that the act was not politically motivated".
Barbaric attack
Although Ethiopia does not currently produce oil, Chinese companies and Petronas have signed deals to explore the area.
The area has seen a great deal of bloodshed as the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), formed in 1984, has fought for the independence of ethnic Somalis in the oil-rich region for some time.
It says the Somali-speaking population has been marginalised by the capital Addis Ababa.
The fighting has escalated over the past two years following an ONLF attack on a Chinese-run oil exploration field.
More than 70 people died in the attack, including Ethiopian guards and Chinese workers.
Addis Ababa calls the rebels "terrorists" and has cut off all access to the region.
But Abdirahman Mahdi, spokesman for the Ogadeni rebels, told the Associated Press news agency that as far as they were aware, "our fighters are not involved in such barbaric attacks".
"Our troops do not have permission to target foreign civilians. But we will investigate the circumstances that led to the man's death".
BBC News
