🔅 The Perilous Path to a Better Life
Uganda's Secret Rendezvous with M23 Rebels, ECOWAS' Breakup
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The Perilous Path to a Better Life: Ethiopian Migrants' Journey to Saudi Arabia
Meet Abdro, a 19-year-old Ethiopian with a world of responsibilities on his shoulders and a phone number in his pocket – the key to a supposed better life in Saudi Arabia. Like countless other young Ethiopians, he embarked on the treacherous journey along the Eastern Corridor, dreaming of earning enough money to support his family back home. But the path to prosperity is paved with exploitation, violence, and unimaginable horrors.
From the scorching desert of Djibouti to the unforgiving seas of the Bab al-Mandab and the Gulf of Aden, migrants face a gauntlet of challenges. Smugglers bind their hands until they pay up, boats capsize, leaving hundreds to drown, and those who survive often find themselves at the mercy of traffickers in Yemen's notorious "hosh" compounds. It's a world where women are forced into sexual slavery, and men endure beatings and ransom demands – all for the chance of a better tomorrow.
Geopolitics and Indifference: The World Turns a Blind Eye
Despite the staggering human cost, the plight of these brave souls remains largely invisible to the world. While Europe's migrant crisis dominates headlines, the quiet courage of those traversing the Eastern Corridor goes unnoticed. The money spent on stopping migrants is a drop in the ocean compared to the resources poured into European routes, and humanitarian aid is stretched thin.
And what of the migrants who make it back home? They return haunted by their experiences, their dreams shattered, and their pockets empty.
As Abdro, now back in Ethiopia, reflects on his journey, he counts himself lucky to have returned safe. But for every Abdro, there are countless others still chasing dreams, risking everything for a chance at a better life. Until the world wakes up to their plight, the cycle of exploitation and indifference will continue, and the Eastern Corridor will remain a path paved with broken dreams and forgotten courage.
Uganda's Alleged Secret Rendezvous with M23 Rebels
The United Nations has dropped a bombshell report accusing Uganda of playing footsie with the M23 rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
M23 has repeatedly seized large parts of mineral-rich eastern Congo.
Uganda, however, is vehemently denying any involvement, saying their collaborating instead with the DRC government.
"Since the resurgence of the M23 crisis, Uganda has not prevented the presence of M23 and Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) troops on its territory or passage through it," the UN report claims. It also says Ugandan officials have been having clandestine meetings with M23 leaders, including the notorious Sultani Makenga.Â
Uganda’s response, on the other hand, is that they would be crazy to destabilise the area they’re trying to stabilise. Fair point, or just Oscar-worthy acting? You be the judge!
Rwanda, who has long been accused of supporting M23 and that the UN says has about 3,000 troops fighting alongside the rebels, accuses Congo of backing a Hutu rebel group instead.
West African Breakup: Three Countries Ghost Ecowas for a New Clique
There's a new breakup story in town, and it's happening on a continental scale. Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have decided to ditch their 50-year relationship with Ecowas, the West African bloc, to form their own club called the Alliance of Sahel States.
The juntas came into power after a series of coups between 2020 and 2023, with Ecowas responding by imposing sanctions, demanding a quick restoration of civilian rule.
Ecowas even threatened to use military force, before backing down.
But now, these three countries have decided they're "irrevocably" done with Ecowas.
Ecowas, playing the role of the clingy ex, is warning of dire consequences. They're worried about the future of everything from freedom of movement to intelligence sharing.
Ecowas has appointed Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye as the mediator. He's younger and shares the juntas' distaste for Western influence, especially France, so the hope is that he’ll be the one able to smooth everything over.
Will this new alliance work out? Will Ecowas win back its wayward members?
Food for Thought
“The worlds of the elders do not lock all the doors; they leave the right door open."
— Zambian Proverb