Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed completed his Sudan visit in style, returning to Addis Ababa with over 100 female victims of trafficking that have been in Sudan en-route to other countries.
Among those who returned home with their leader include individuals who were released from prison in Sudan where others had been jailed for over 20 years according to reports.
They are claimed to have been incarcerated for various offenses.
This coming even as Human Rights Watch released a report on Thursday this week saying Ethiopian migrants who braved death-defying land and sea journeys to find work in Saudi Arabia are being deported en masse with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
The report premised on interviews with deportees in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, documents exploitation, trafficking and violence that begins from the moment the migrants set off across the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden to reach the Arabian Peninsula.
It said that officials in Ethiopia, Yemen and Saudi Arabia have done little to protect migrants from abuses at the hands of traffickers and security forces.
Most Ethiopians however reacting to PM Abiy’s successful mission to return home those from Khartoum, urged him to create employment opportunities to curb mass exodus of his countrymen seeking for greener pasture abroad.
Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed greeting some of the victims of human trafficking.Photo courtesy
The Ethiopian Premier was among African leaders in Khartoum who witnessed the historic signing of the power sharing pact between Forces for Freedom and Change-FFC and the Transitional Military Council on Saturday.
Abiy called upon the Sudanese to be the custodians of peace and the guardians of dignity as they work toward building a democracy.
He emphasized that women play a critical role in political leadership and encouraged both parties to demonstrate inclusivity.
He gave an example of his country where he said they have ensured a 50-50 gender balance in the cabinet.