When I first started this blog, I said that I was going to write about human trafficking. Well, I haven’t found the time do do so yet. The article I’m posting now is not of my own writing, but of a good friend of mine Simon Tesfamariam. I couldn’t have written something better than this. This is the most informative, well-researched, well-referenced and well-written articles I’ve ever read on the subject. I’m still mind-bogged on how Simon, a med-student, found the time to write such an amazing piece. On that note, I’m going to find more time to blog. Work load and ‘not finding time to write’ can no longer be the excuse!
I know you will enjoy this article. It was originally posted on Simon’s blog and later featured on the Black Agenda Report website.
Human Trafficking and the Human Rights Agenda Against Eritrea
Introduction
On March 1, 2013, Joel Millman of the Wall Street Journal published a piece entitled “Ruthless Kidnapping Rings Reach From Desert Sands to U.S. Cities.” The article chronicles the touching personal accounts of Eritrean refugees being kidnapped and taken for ransom in Egypt’s Sinai desert. As disheartening as this piece may be to even the most apathetic observers, Eritreans are growing increasingly aware of the fact that similar articles highlighting the trafficking of Eritreans are becoming a regular occurrence. Although human trafficking, smuggling, and migration have been longstanding problems that have plagued the so-called developing world, it seems somewhat curious that Eritrea is suddenly getting the brunt of the international attention. Why now? Although increased international attention may be positive in that it sheds needed light on the plight of the affected migrants, the reality is that pieces like this are often politically motivated, lacking context, skewing the facts on the ground, and serving as part of larger campaign to vilify and isolate Eritrea.
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The Real Rahel 