Leak reports mask trafficking networks and cause political turmoil
by: lewam ataklti
In March 2023, two Eritrea nationals Abel Tsegay and Yafet Eyob arrived in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia with a promise of safe passage. Instead, they were caught up in a web of fear and betrayal that underscored the growing dangers facing immigrants in the Horn of Africa.
Upon reaching the northernmost region of Tigray, Ethiopia, the two men were instructed to deposit 10,000 Birr into a Wegagen bank account registered under the name Hagos Kidanemariam. However, after receiving the money, Hagos cut off contact and ordered him to return to Eritrea. Desperate, Abel and Yafet arranged for a transfer from Rama to Mekelle and asked another broker for help, securing a temporary shelter at the Barkot Hotel.
So the situation got worse. The man was threatened and told he would not be released unless he paid 300,000 to 400,000 Birr. Bid for freedom, they signed a contract with the hotel owner.
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However, the traps had already expanded. Using a surveillance tool, a man named Angesom tracked down and detained both the hotel owner and the broker accused of detaining Abel and Yafet. Before the lawsuit arrived in court, officers carved bribes with 50,000 Birr – secured the suspect's release.
Trials are a symbol of a wider crisis. The trafficking ring thrives in the Horn of Africa and targets vulnerable groups that have been displaced, particularly Eritrean refugees and internally displaced Tigrayans.
A 2023 report by the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) warned that erosion of legal immigration routes, coupled with weaker governance, allowed cross-border criminal networks to be immunized and exploited the region at about the same time. The immigration route has become a corridor of abuse, the report said.
Eritreans fleeing indefinite military conscription and authoritarian oppression often face acquiring, forced labor, or sexual exploitation in the middle of Sudan or further. A 2024 Human Rights Watch report documented how refugees from Eritrea can be lured for ransoms, sold to slaves, or trafficked to Libya and Sudan's sexual trade.
Tigrayan women are displaced by an internal conflict in Ethiopia and face similar fate. Invited by promises of work abroad, they are frequently trafficked to domestic slavery or sexual exploitation. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has warned that without emergency coordinated action among emergency local governments, human trafficking in the horn could become even more spiral and threaten thousands more.
The 85-page research report obtained by the reporter reveals how deeply these networks are. Compiled by Ethiopian authorities, the document outlines human trafficking activities in Tigray and includes an incredible array of actors.
The report alleges a wide range of criminal activities, including large sums of money laundry, temptations, abuse of power, illegal border crossings, and the use of forged documents to ensure illegal employment and travel.
According to the leak, traffickers can exploit bureaucratic loopholes to procure fake Ethiopian ID cards for Eritrean immigrants and board domestic flights to avoid detection. The report includes the name, the bank account used to transfer money, and the hotel where the victim is hidden. It also catalogs verbal testimony, secret photographs, and other forensic evidence collected during the investigation.
Political Fallout
Tensions within Ethiopia's Tigray region escalated sharply after the office of the Tigray Interim administration (TIA) office accused former TIA president Getachew Reda of leaking a confidential investigation report for personal gain.
In an official statement, TIA alleged that Getachew is now the special adviser to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on East African Affairs – intentionally disclosed the document compiled over months of research in the calculated act of revenge. “This irresponsible behavior isn't just for the individual he wanted to target,” the statement said, “I also read it to people who participated in the research and are now at risk of being hurt at any time.”
Getachew condemned the interim government of the fraudster Shield and quickly denied the allegations. “I submitted the information to a higher authority. I knew that if I had kept it within the TIA, no action would have been taken,” he said. He added that some of the individuals mentioned in the report have already fled the country, and that the report is intended to support the rule of law rather than accurate political revenge.
In a recent two-hour interview with Fana TV, Getachew went further and publicly named military officials accused of corruption within the Tigray area.
Human rights advocates warn against politicizing revelation. Tesfalem Berhe, director of NGO Human Rights First, told reporters that justice should not be overshadowed by establishing a political score. “We received reliable information on this issue,” Tesphalem said. “The interim administration must recognize the gravity of these human rights violations and ensure that the perpetrators are held liable. If justice is not provided, crime will increase more frequently and become more brave.”
Others point to the broader transnational scale of human trafficking networks. Tigray Independence Party vice-chairman Alemseged Aregay said he has been charged with as many as 400,000 BIRRs for transport, in addition to 20,000-30,000 BIRRs against Ethiopian ID cards that the victims have traveled back and forth. He said traffickers will also help obtain passports in Addis Ababa before promoting trips to Rwanda, Uganda and parts of Europe.
Alemseged described the vast networks ranging from Eritrea, Sudan, Yemen and Europe, warning that travelers from Tigray would attempt to cross far away areas and to Tigray in the west. He called for urgent federal intervention.
“A political group now controls the interim government,” he said, urging the formation of a more comprehensive governing body. “The federal government must enforce the rule of law and bring the person responsible to justice.”
The size of human trafficking in the area continues to be mounted. According to the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC), human trafficking cases across the Horn of Africa have increased by 35% since 2020. The IOM estimates that more than 100,000 people in the region were forced to labour or sexually exploited in 2024 alone.
The leaked report, which flashed the political infight, identifies 231 suspects (including local officials and businessmen) who are actively linked to the human trafficking syndicate. As debate over document releases intensifies, demands for transparency, justice and regional reform grows.
