While thousands are decrying the reported abuse of Ethiopian migrants in Saudi Arabia, one woman hopes to stir more activism in Africa
An Ethiopian worker argues with a member of the Saudi security forces as he waits with his countrymen to be repatriated in Manfouha, southern Riyadh, Nov. 11, 2013. (photo by REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser)
“I couldn’t sleep. If you see the pictures… ” Meseret’s voice cracks before it trails off, before she lets out an exasperated sigh and swipes away the loose strands of hair around her face.
“As I am talking to you. They are suffering. Imagine, a woman getting raped by 20 men.”
At that point tears flow down her cheeks. She wipes a few of them away. More fall down.
Against the heaviness of her sorrow, her voice rises in an attempt to regain composure. “The human rights community is sleeping on this,” she says.
Over the last several weeks, Meseret Assefa, an Ethiopian expat living in Nigeria, has spent countless moments watching shaky, amateur footage posted on YouTube and Facebook walls of Ethiopians, assumingly in Saudi Arabia, lying in blood, being yelled at by police forces, confessing incidents of rape at the hands of Saudis.
An ongoing clamp down on undocumented Ethiopian migrant workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia rendered thousands vulnerable as many were not able to renew work permits before the November 4th deadline signifying the expiration of an amnesty that was announced in April. The government’s bid to reduce unemployment among native Saudis has left migrants scurrying to legitimatize, or disguise, their presence. Back in November, Ethiopia’s government said 23,000 Ethiopians were in the repatriation process, having submitted to Saudi authorities.The latest stats from December 5th reveal more than 100,000 have since been deported
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