From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Thu Jul 09 2009 - 04:16:53 EDT
ETHIOPIA: Human Trafficking Hub in the Horn of Africa
Sophia Tesfamariam
July 09, 2009
http://www.americanchronicle.com/img/galleries/1337/0/Human_Trafficking.jpg
The other day, I was listening to Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State as
she announced the release of the annual Human Trafficking Reports by the US
Department of State (DoS). With Eritrean Americans such as myself, with
every dubious list that the DoS released, it has become very important to
not only know what is contained in them, but also most importantly if
Eritrea is mentioned, because as we have learned in the last 10 years, these
lists are based hearsay, unsubstantiated facts and ideology. I was driving
at the time and did not worry about it too much as Eritrea had never been a
country listed on any of the past reports relating to human trafficking
since the Department started producing them some 10 years ago. So imagine my
outrage when I got to my office and read the news reports that said Eritrea
was placed on Tier Three (the most egregious violators list).
Some countries are placed in tiers that do not correspond with the relative
weight of their alleged human trafficking records. For example, Ethiopia´s
extensive human trafficking activity and weak legislation to combat it,
coupled with the minority regimes complicity in the trafficking of
Eritreans, should have landed it a Tier 3 ranking from the get go, but
because Meles Zenawi was the Bush Administration´s "staunch ally in the war
on terror", his regime was not blacklisted and thousands of Ethiopians paid
for that appeasement. How is it that Ethiopia, which has been placed on the
Department´s watch list for the last 10 years is placed in Tier Two and
Eritrea which has never been on any list in the last 10 years, and never
mentioned in all its past reports, is suddenly placed in Tier Three? How can
that be?
A cruel hoax…or was that the Bush Administration and Jendayi Frazier´s final
revenge…well, regardless of what it is, it is needs further scrutiny. For
that, let´s go to the Department´s own Reports for the last 9 years. In all
the Department of States Human Rights Reports, 2000-2009, when it came to
the section on human trafficking, this is what has been repeatedly written
about Eritrea:
"…there were no reports that persons were trafficked in, to, or from the
country…"
There is absolutely no mention of any issues with human trafficking in
Eritrea. Absolutely none. It makes sense since Eritrea is a victim of human
trafficking. Its citizens are constantly targeted not just by sleazy
traffickers out to make a quick buck, but also by States such as Ethiopia
which seek to destabilize the country. Eritrea´s citizens have also been
targeted by hostile self serving international groups and organizations,
such as UNHCR.
As the facts will show, the many reports on Ethiopia produced by the
Department of State in the last 10 years are filled with stories of
abductions, trafficking, illegal adoption schemes and more. Allow me to
present Ethiopia's human trafficking 10 year history as presented by the
Department of State's own Human Rights Reports from 2000-2009.
DoS Human Rights Report released on 23 February 2000:
"…. there were numerous anecdotal accounts of young girls traveling to the
Middle East to work as house servants and nannies, some of whom are abused,
including sexually. There reportedly is a network of persons based in the
tourism and import-export sectors who are involved heavily in soliciting
potential clients, recruiting young girls, arranging travel, and fabricating
counterfeit work permits, travel documents, and birth certificates… As a
result of a change in the Labor Law the Government no longer acts as an
employment agency for workers going abroad. Private entities now arrange for
overseas work and as a result, the number of women being sent to Middle
Eastern countries as domestic or industrial workers increased significantly.
Lebanon is the most popular destination. There were credible reports that
hundreds of the approximately 15,000 Ethiopian domestic workers in Lebanon
were subjected to abusive conditions, including sexual exploitation…"
DoS Human Rights Report released on 23 February 2001:
"…NGO's report that girls as young as age 11 are recruited to work in houses
of prostitution where they are kept ignorant of the risks of HIV infection.
There have been many press reports of the large-scale employment of
children, especially underage girls, as hotel workers, barmaids, and
prostitutes in resort towns and truckstops south of Addis Ababa…there were
reports that poor rural families sold their young teenage daughters to hotel
and bar owners on the main truck routes; however, there were no reports of
such activity during the year. Social workers note that young girls are
prized because their clients believe that they are free of sexually
transmitted diseases. The unwanted babies of these young girls usually are
abandoned at hospitals, police stations, welfare clinics, and adoption
agencies. There were numerous anecdotal accounts of young girls going to the
Middle East to work as house servants and nannies, some of whom were abused,
including sexually…There reportedly is a network of persons based in the
tourism and import-export sectors who are involved heavily in soliciting
potential clients, recruiting young girls, arranging travel, and fabricating
counterfeit work permits, travel documents, and birth certificates…"
DoS Human Rights Report released on 4 March 2002:
"… Ethiopia is a country of origin for trafficked women, and there are
reports of internal trafficking. Unlike in previous years, there were no
reports that rural families sold their daughters to hotel and bar owners on
the main truck routes; however, the practice is believed to exist…The
Government no longer acts as an employment agency for workers going abroad.
Private entities now arrange for overseas work and, as a result, the number
of women being sent to Middle Eastern countries, particularly Lebanon, Saudi
Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, as domestic or industrial
workers increased significantly. There reportedly is a network of persons
based in the tourism and import-export sectors who are involved heavily in
soliciting potential clients, recruiting young girls, arranging travel, and
fabricating counterfeit work permits, travel documents, and birth
certificates. There continued to be credible reports that some domestic
workers abroad were subjected to abusive conditions, including sexual
exploitation…In addition the employers of the domestics sometimes seize
passports, fail to pay salaries, and overwork the domestics, and some
domestics were forced to work for their employers' relatives without
additional pay. Domestics have been forced to pay a monetary penalty for
leaving their employment early. There are reports of confinement and
obstruction of contacting family..."
DoS Human Rights Report released on 31 March 2003:
"…there were numerous reports that persons were trafficked to, from, and
within the country. Child prostitution was a problem, especially in urban
areas…During the year, 80 to 100 persons were charged with trafficking;
however, there were no reported prosecutions or investigations during the
year, due in part to limited resources…There were unconfirmed reports that
children from the southern part of the country were transported into Kenya
by child traffickers operating adoption rings, and adopted as other
nationalities…NGOs reported that girls as young as age 11 were recruited to
work in houses of prostitution where they were kept uninformed of the risks
of HIV/AIDS infection and other sexually transmitted diseases. There were
many press reports of the large-scale employment of children, especially
underage girls, as hotel workers, barmaids, and prostitutes in resort towns
and rural truck stops…There was evidence that children were trafficked from
rural areas to Addis Ababa, lured by false promises of employment…Private
entities arranged for overseas work and, as a result, the number of women
sent to Middle Eastern countries, particularly Lebanon, Saudi Arabia,
Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, as domestic or industrial workers
increased significantly during the year. These Ethiopian women typically
were trafficked through Djibouti, Yemen, and Syria…The Chief of the
Investigation and Detention Center in Lebanon reported that 20,000 to 25,000
Ethiopian women worked in Beirut, a majority of whom were trafficked.
Approximately 50 percent of these women were not able to return legally to
their home country…There reportedly was a network of persons based in the
tourism and trade sectors who were involved heavily in soliciting potential
clients, recruiting young girls, arranging travel, and fabricating
counterfeit work permits, travel documents, and birth certificates…"
DoS Human Rights Report released on 25 February 2004:
"… there were numerous reports that persons were trafficked to, from, and
within the country. Child prostitution was a problem, particularly in urban
areas…Despite the arrests of suspected traffickers during the year, there
had been no successful prosecutions of traffickers in persons by year's
end…In October, police arrested five men suspected of trying to traffic nine
children under the age of 8 from the southern region of Gamo Gofa. The
police reportedly returned the nine children to their parents…There were
unconfirmed reports that children from the south were transported into Kenya
by child traffickers operating adoption rings, and adopted as other
nationalities. Unlike in the previous year, the Government did not close
down adoption agencies operating in the country that failed to observe
proper rules and regulations. The Government granted licenses to three
adoption agencies in the country…NGOs reported that girls as young as age 11
were recruited to work in houses of prostitution where they were kept
uninformed of the risks of HIV/AIDS infection and other sexually transmitted
diseases. In July, a Family Health International Report indicated that
customers targeted younger girls because they were believed to be free of
sexually transmitted diseases…Among the sex workers, 60 percent were between
the ages of 16 and 25. Underage girls worked as hotel workers, barmaids, and
prostitutes in resort towns and rural truck stops…An international NGO
reported that trafficking was "increasing at an alarming rate." A study
commissioned by a foreign government during the year on the problem of
internal trafficking of women and children confirmed that the problem is
pervasive. The overwhelming majority of respondents confirmed that they were
trafficked from rural areas to Addis Ababa and other urban centers, lured by
false promises of employment. Of the 459 respondents, 46 percent were
illiterate and 49 percent had completed no more than a grade 8 education.
Upon arrival at their new destinations, 54 percent worked as domestic
servants, but that number dropped to 9 percent as the trafficked women and
children took jobs in bars, became sex workers, or begged on the
street…There was a network of persons in Addis Ababa based in the tourism
and trade sectors who were heavily involved in soliciting potential clients,
recruiting young girls, arranging travel, and fabricating counterfeit work
permits, travel documents, and birth certificates…"
DoS Human Rights Report released on 28 February 2005:
"…there were numerous reports that persons were trafficked to, from, and
within the country. Child prostitution was a problem, particularly in urban
areas. Despite the arrests of suspected traffickers during the year, there
were no successful prosecutions of traffickers in persons by year's end…The
country was a source country for women, children, and to a lesser extent
men, trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced domestic
and commercial labor, primarily to the Gulf States and Lebanon. NGOs
estimated that between 20,000 and 25,000 persons annually were trafficked
internationally. Internal trafficking was also a serious problem. Children
and adults were trafficked internally from rural areas to urban areas,
principally for involuntary domestic servitude, and also for prostitution
and forced labor, such as street vending. There were reports that Ethiopian
women may have been trafficked onward from Lebanon to Europe…NGOs reported
that impoverished girls as young as age 11 were recruited to work in houses
of prostitution where they were kept uninformed of the risks of HIV/AIDS
infection and other sexually transmitted diseases…According to an NGO
report, 60 percent of commercial sex workers were between the ages of 16 and
25. Underage girls worked as hotel workers, barmaids, and prostitutes in
resort towns and rural truck stops. IOM reported that trafficking was
"increasing at an alarming rate." A 2003 study by a foreign government on
the problem of internal trafficking of women and children confirmed that the
problem was pervasive…There was almost no government assistance, in the form
of counseling or other support services, to trafficked victims who returned
to the country. The government provided limited consular assistance in a few
cases…"
DoS Human Rights Report released on 8 March 2006:
"…Ethiopia was a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for
forced labor and sexual exploitation. Young Ethiopian women were trafficked
to Djibouti and the Middle East, particularly Lebanon, the United Arab
Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain for involuntary domestic labor. A small
percentage were trafficked for sexual exploitation to Europe via Lebanon.
Small numbers of men were trafficked to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states for
exploitation as low-skilled laborers. Both children and adults were
trafficked internally from rural to urban areas for domestic labor and, to a
lesser extent, for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor, such as
street vending. NGOs estimated that international trafficking annually
involved between 20 and 25 thousand victims…The government does not fully
comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking…Despite
arrests of suspected traffickers in 2004, there were no successful
prosecutions of traffickers by year's end…The government provided little
assistance to trafficked victims who returned to the country…"
DoS Human Rights Report released on 6 March 2007:
"…there were reports that persons were trafficked from and within the
country. The country was a source country for men, women, and children
trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Young women were
trafficked to Djibouti and the Middle East, particularly Lebanon, the United
Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain for involuntary domestic labor.
Some women were trafficked for sexual exploitation to Europe via Lebanon.
Small numbers of men were trafficked to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states for
exploitation as low-skilled laborers. Both children and adults were
trafficked internally from rural to urban areas for domestic labor and, to a
lesser extent, for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor, such as
street vending and weaving…The IOM reported in 2004 that trafficking was
"increasing at an alarming rate." A 2003 study by a foreign government on
the problem of internal trafficking of women and children confirmed that the
problem was pervasive. The overwhelming majority of respondents confirmed
that traffickers, typically unorganized petty criminals, lured women and
children from rural areas to Addis Ababa and other urban centers with false
promises of employment. Of the 459 respondents, 46 percent were illiterate
and 49 percent had completed no more than an eighth-grade education. Upon
arrival at their new destinations, 54 percent worked as domestic servants,
but that number dropped to 9 percent as the trafficked women and children
took jobs in bars, became prostitutes, or begged on the street…Private
entities arranged for overseas work and, as a result, traffickers sent women
to Middle Eastern countries--particularly Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain,
and the United Arab Emirates--as domestic or industrial workers. These women
typically were trafficked through Djibouti, Yemen, and Syria. They were
trafficked out of the country either through the international airport in
Addis Ababa, to Djibouti, or through the country's porous border with
Somalia…"
DoS Human Rights Report released on 11 March 2008:
"…there were reports that persons were trafficked from and within the
country. The country was a source country for men, women, and children
trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation…According to the
International Organization for Migration (IOM) there were a total of more
than 130,000 Ethiopian migrant workers (legal and illegal) in the Middle
East, predominantly women. NGOs and Ethiopia's Ministry of Labor and Social
Affairs (MOLSA) estimated that the majority of illegal Ethiopian workers in
Middle Eastern countries were trafficked rather than smuggled for employment
purposes. According to data from MOLSA and IOM, 13,498 Ethiopian workers
migrated to the Middle East between September 2005 and August 2006; and
12,016 Ethiopian workers migrated to the Middle East between September 2006
and January 2007…Young women were trafficked to Djibouti and the Middle
East, particularly Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and
Bahrain for involuntary domestic labor. Some women were trafficked for
sexual exploitation to Europe (Specifically Turkey and Greece) via
Lebanon…Small numbers of men were trafficked to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf
states for exploitation as low-skilled laborers. Both children and adults
were trafficked internally from rural to urban areas for domestic labor and,
to a lesser extent, for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor,
such as street vending and weaving…Trafficked Ethiopians transited Egypt,
Yemen, Djibouti, Kenya, and Tanzania to perform domestic labor in Lebanon
and other Gulf states. They also transited Sudan and Libya as part of
irregular migration to Europe and North America. Ethiopians were trafficked
to Djibouti for domestic labor and the sex industry, and to South Africa to
perform labor associated with hosting the World Cup…Local NGOs reported that
internal trafficking of children and adults within the country continued to
be a serious problem. Vulnerable individuals (such as young adults from
rural areas and children) who transited the Addis Ababa bus terminal were
sometimes identified and targeted by agents (or traffickers) who approached
them offering jobs, food, guidance, or shelter. NGO representatives reported
that some traffickers focused on rural villages to recruit specific types of
laborers…According to international NGOs, child prostitution was a growing
problem, particularly in urban areas. Approximately 60 percent of persons
exploited in prostitution were between the ages of 16 and 25, according to
one NGO report. Underage girls worked as hotel workers, barmaids, and
prostitutes in resort towns and at rural truck stops…NGOs reported that
houses of prostitution recruited impoverished girls as young as age 11 and
kept them uninformed of the risks of HIV/AIDS infection and other sexually
transmitted diseases. IOM officials reported some linkages between internal
and international trafficking, specifically noting that children internally
trafficked from Dire Dawa, Bahir Dar, and Dessie, were frequently sent to
the Middle East, transiting through Dire Dawa, Jijiga, Bosasso (in Somalia),
and then Djibouti…"
DoS Human Rights Report released on 25 February 2009:
"…there were reports that persons were trafficked from and within the
country…The country is a source country for men, women, and children
trafficked primarily for the purpose of forced labor and, to a lesser
extent, for commercial sexual exploitation…Young women, particularly those
ages 16-30, were the most commonly trafficked group, while a small number of
children were also reportedly trafficked internationally…Rural children and
adults are trafficked to urban areas for domestic servitude and, less
frequently, commercial sexual exploitation and other forced labor, such as
street vending, begging, traditional weaving, or agriculture; situations of
debt bondage were reported. Women are trafficked transnationally for
domestic servitude, primarily to Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab
Emirates, but also to Bahrain, Djibouti, Kuwait, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
Some of these women are trafficked into the sex trade after arriving at
their destinations, while others have been trafficked onward from Lebanon to
Turkey, Italy, and Greece. Small numbers of men are trafficked to Saudi
Arabia and the Gulf States for low-skilled forced labor…Addis Ababa's police
Child Protection Unit (CPU) reported that traffic broker networks grew
increasingly sophisticated and collaborative. Traffickers now approached
vulnerable individuals at bus terminals seven to nine miles outside of Addis
Ababa to avoid police presence. Traffickers sometimes used agents and
brokers to lure victims with jobs, food, guidance, or shelter…Crosscountry
bus and truck drivers are involved in trafficking of children, while
brokers, pimps, and brothel owners finalize the deal at the receiving
end…Local brokers operate and recruit at the community level, and many knew
the victim or victim's family. To avoid police detection and identification,
local brokers did not advertise, often worked from rented houses, cafes, or
hotel rooms, and changed places often. Some brokers used commission-based
facilitators who were trusted by a potential victim's family to recruit
victims…The government and its embassies and consulates provided little
assistance to victims of trafficking: limited legal advice, infrequent
temporary shelter, and no repatriation loans. Returning victims relied on
psychological services provided by public health institutions and NGOs…The
government accords no special protections, restitution, and has very limited
shelter provisions or other special services benefits for victim returnees.
In 2007 there were anecdotal reports of returned trafficking victims being
detained, jailed, or prosecuted for violations of laws, such as those
governing prostitution or immigration…"
In addition, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimated there were between
150,000 and 200,000 street children in Ethiopia, with a further one million
vulnerable or at risk of ending up on the streets. These children begged,
sometimes as part of a gang, or worked in the informal sector. Government
and privately run orphanages were unable to handle the number of street
children, and older children often abused younger ones. "Handlers" sometimes
maimed or blinded children to raise their earnings from begging. Despite the
huge presence of humanitarian and other NGOs in Ethiopia, despite the
density of UN agencies and under the watchful eye of the corrupt and inept
African Union, Ethiopian men, women and children are trafficked within
Ethiopia and beyond, with the tacit approval of and participation of the
minority regime´s cadres and militias.
The Government of Eritrea takes human trafficking very seriously and rightly
considers it a national security issue. Anyone caught engaging in any
trafficking is prosecuted and punished. The Government of Eritrea constantly
conducts numerous seminars and workshops, television and radio programs and
awareness campaigns through the National Union of Eritrean Youth and
Students (NUEYS) and the National Union of Eritrean Women (NUEWS) to educate
the public and warn its citizens of the dangers involved. Eritrean
Ambassadors and the Eritrean Diaspora have regular seminars in which the
issue of youth trafficking is addressed and discussed, including the role of
some in the Diaspora who wittingly or unwittingly become financial sources
for such illegal activities.
The Government of Eritrea has also taken action against foreign traffickers.
It should be recalled that several members of the United Nations Mission to
Eritrea and Ethiopia (UNMEE) were expelled from the country for transporting
Eritrean youth across the Eritrea Ethiopia border. But it is not only UNMEE
personnel that have engaged in trafficking. In 2005, employees of the US
Embassy in Eritrea were detained for engaging in human trafficking
activities. In another incident reported on 5 September 2007, the Government
of Eritrea in its Press Statement said:
"…In October 2003, a visiting military team of the US Task Force based in
Djibouti (CJTF-HOA) assisted the unlawful departure of an Eritrean citizen
to Djibouti aboard its helicopter in violation of the domestic laws of the
country…"
As the evidence above shows, the Government and people of Eritrea do not
condone or encourage human trafficking in or out of Eritrea. How ironic that
the Department of State that chastised Eritrea for taking deterrent actions
against those engaged in human trafficking in the past, is now accusing
Eritrea of doing nothing to prevent it.
Ethiopia under the dictatorship of Meles Zenawi is a source nation for human
trafficking as well as a transit for trafficked persons. As has been widely
reported by the western media, youth trafficked from Eritrea are placed in
UNHCR run "refugee camps" in Ethiopia. It is no secret that the UNHCR and
other UN personnel and the regime in Ethiopia, have for the last 10 years,
actively encouraged and facilitated the trafficking of Eritreans, especially
the youth, from Eritrea. Eritreans have been targeted by certain quarters
who want to weaken the Government and people of Eritrea by luring the youth
out of Eritrea using pretexts such as "human rights", "prolonged national
service" etc. to justify their illegal cross border activities. It is also
not a secret that there are thousands of Ethiopians who have filed for
asylum in the United States and in Europe posing as Eritreans.
Those of us who live in the Eastern sea board have seen the influx of
Eritrean Kunamas who were displaced by the Eritrean Ethiopian border
conflict in 1998-2000, conveniently labeled as "persecuted groups" and
brought to the United States from Ethiopia, instead of repatriating them to
Eritrea, with the full acquiescence and complicity of UNHCR and the
Department of State. Once in Ethiopia, their "migration" to the United
States and Europe is run by a human trafficking cartel which includes
members of the Eritrean Quislings League (EQL) in the US, Europe and in
Ethiopia, who facilitate, finance and coordinate the dangerous voyages
through the Sahara desert and across the Mediterranean and other seas. UNHCR
and self serving Europe based NGOs and individuals also play an active role
in preventing the repatriation of trafficked persons, including army
deserters to Eritrea.
The EQL cartel also provides "refugee services" and "immigration
consultations" for the trafficked Eritrean youth. The recent surge in
Eritreans trafficked from South Africa, through South America (Brazil and
Mexico) and delivered to Texas and other states by EQL cartels, is something
that needs to be investigated. According to my sources, trafficked persons
are delivered to the doorsteps of their clients who pay close to $30,000 for
the service. Immigration officials ought to be investigating members of the
EQL who have and continue to engage in human trafficking. In addition to
bringing members of their families to the US (more on this topic at another
time), there is irrefutable evidence that shows that they have also
facilitated the trafficking of other Eritreans.
Putting Eritrea on Tier Three, while placing Ethiopia, the human trafficking
hub in the Horn of Africa, in Tier Two, has rightly generated moral outrage
among independent scholars and Eritreans in general. This erroneous
placement is further evidence of the faulty research and political bias that
have come to define the Department of State´s annual reports. Furthermore,
this heavy-handed U.S. designation not only flies in the face of quality
analyses done by other organizations, including the United Nations, it also
defies logic and the facts on the ground. The Government of Eritrea cannot
stop the trafficking of Eritrean youth from Ethiopia and elsewhere, if the
receiving countries in Europe and the United States are unwilling to play
constructive roles and make changes in their immigration policies, which
encourage illegal flight and migration.
The Obama Administration needs to take a closer look at its immigration
policies and its Diversity Visa (DV) programs that encourage illegal exit of
potential candidates in violation of Eritrean laws. It is one thing to give
educational and other opportunities for to people who want to come to the
United States, but it is a totally different matter when the DV lottery is
used to deliberately and systematically lure the youth, the productive
members of the young nation, and drain its valuable human resources. The
Department of State ought to be investigating its own in country personnel
who seem to have mistaken their diplomatic immunity to mean diplomatic
impunity. Eritrea´s sudden appearance on the DoS´s list casts severe doubt
on the Department´s credibility and integrity and Eritreans around the globe
categorically reject the placement of Eritrea on any of its Tiers!
The rule of law must prevail over the law of the jungle!
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