Zecharias Zelalem
THREAD: This is Naima, an Ethiopian migrant. Intent on a better life, she travelled to Libya hoping to board one of those dangerous boats to cross the Mediterranean with. Instead, she was kidnapped by Libyan human traffickers, who have enslaved her. They sent this photo and disturbing footage of her being tortured to her family, demanding a ransom of $6,000 for her life.
The images went viral last week. Libya is a hub of trafficker brutality, murder and extortion. Know more.
Zecharias Zelalem
In the Horn of Africa, people have grown so accustomed, even numb to such disturbing images. Because the tragic plight of migrants like Naima and their families is all too common nowadays. Wars and oppression send millions fleeing the Horn of Africa. Human traffickers make a killing through extortion, rape and murder.
Since the NATO led overthrow of Gaddafi, Libya has become a hub for such abuses. We are too familiar with it, I'm hoping others can at least be aware.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/18/libya-is-hell-126-refugees-rescued-in-the-mediterranean-say
Zecharias Zelalem
There is footage of Naima being tortured, but I'm not uploading it here. Here's Middle East Eye coverage if you'd like. There are so may Ethiopian, Eritrean and Somali families who have sold their homes, properties/possession to pay ransoms to Libyan traffickers, that I'm frankly surprised that Naima's story went viral and made headlines.
It's important that we all comprehend the fallout of Obama's "mistake" in Libya.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/libya-video-reveals-young-ethiopian-woman-being-tortured-ransom
Zecharias Zelalem
European friends, do look at the track record of the EU on dealing with migration from Libya with greater scrutiny. The EU has had a history of funding all kinds of violent groups, from brutal coast guard units, to human traffickers and even Russian Wagner affiliated militia groups, who are paid to kidnap, and return migrants aboard boats back to Libya.
An earth shattering 2023 Al Jazeera investigation was especially revelatory.
Zecharias Zelalem
What kind of people are the migrants? They aren't the "rapists" and criminals Elon Musk wishes they all were. Pushed away from their homelands by oppressive and genocidal regimes, the "civilized world" then pushes them back into the sea, or into the path of the traffickers who trade in their blood and limbs.
Thousands are held like Naima in trafficker warehouses in Libya. In 2021, I wrote about a particularly brutal trafficker kingpin, and interviewed survivors.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/ethiopia-libya-human-trafficking-migrants-escape-justice
Zecharias Zelalem
Libya has seen the emergence of all kinds of brutal armed entities, most of whom made life hell for the migrants they encounter in their territory.
In 2015, the so called Islamic State produced a gruesome video showing the beheadings/shootings of 28 Ethiopian & Eritrean migrant that the group kidnapped, and targeted for their faith.
It's a particularly unforgettable, traumatizing tragedy, which led to riots and mass mourning processions in Ethiopia.
https://www.cnn.com/2015/04/19/africa/libya-isis-executions-ethiopian-christians/index.html
Zecharias Zelalem
The executioner in the video was a masked man who spoke fluent North American English. But because none of the victims were westerners, the CIA or other intelligence agencies made no effort to publicize the name of the homegrown terrorist the way they did with "Jihadi John," because unlike Jihadi John (Mohammed Emwazi) this guy's victims were poor African migrants.
Zecharias Zelalem
Anyways...a little bit about the policies that many right wing political parties are pushing these days with regards to immigration.
Among those beheaded that day, 30 year old Tesfay Kidane. He fled Eritrea, and applied for asylum in Israel and was rejected. Israel keeps migrants like him in detention facilities, offering to let them out if they take up an offer & leave the country.
With no prospects, Tesfay decided to leave and try Libya. Israeli xenophobic migration policies sealed his fate.
Zecharias Zelalem
The nightmarish stories of migrants in Libya are endless.
With Trump's presidency beginning next week, I'm expecting a greater concentrated effort to demonize migrants/asylum seekers. But nobody chooses to be born in a warzone. Human resilience and a desire for survival would push anyone to use their instincts and get out while they can. Migration is human.
For more on all things migration via Libya...I encourage you to follow @Meron , who is an absolute heroine.
Zecharias Zelalem
@DutchCheryl Yes! That is the last we heard as well. We attended a virtual press conference with both Dutch and UAE police, and the Emiratis confirmed to us that they wanted to put Kidane on trial for financial crimes in the UAE, and that when they were done with him, they would likely send him off to the Netherlands. Since then, we've heard precious little
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uae-sudan-arrest-world-most-wanted-human-trafficker
DutchCheryl
@ZekuZelalem Kidane has been challenged before the court in the Netherlands for torture and murder of hundreds of refugees. As far as I can see, the last Dutch press writes about him and his partner Welid is they are waiting for UAE extradition.
Ook zonder uitlevering naar Nederland wil OM beruchte Eritrese mensensmokkelaar Kidane H. berechten
https://www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/ook-zonder-uitlevering-naar-nederland-wil-om-beruchte-eritrese-mensensmokkelaar-kidane-h-berechten~bd957bae/
Meron Estefanos
@ZekuZelalem Many thanks for your kind words Zach.
BTW, since last month I keep getting calls from Kidane Zecharias and he thinks I am the only one who can help him. I must admit that I really enjoyed hearing him beg me to help him 😂
I would love to interview him though.
Zecharias Zelalem
@ohmu @ditol I'll urge her to be more active :) she has replied in this thread
Weird Socks
@ditol @ZekuZelalem @Meron
Thank you. I keep forgetting to do that.
Ditol
@ohmu
Open the account on its server. She just posted something a month ago, but was not active for a year before that indeed.
@ZekuZelalem @Meron
Weird Socks
@Meron looks awesome but the account hasn't posted anything since 2023...
Zecharias Zelalem
@Meron well...tell him if he can name and shame whoever received that 10 million birr bribe...maybe he can get some time reduced on his sentence :)
Meron Estefanos
@ZekuZelalem 😂😂 good idea, I had totally forgot about the bribe.
Zecharias Zelalem
@ohmu it's NEVER an intrusion. Noone cares, so we're happy to have people butt in when we're on these topics 😁
Weird Socks
@Meron @ZekuZelalem
I apologize if I'm intruding.
Just so I'm sure I'm not misunderstanding, you all are talking about a third person who is not associated with this article, right?
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