VZCZCXRO7152
PP RUEHDE
DE RUEHDS #0812/01 0750653
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 160653Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5123
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 0078
RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH 2489
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 0173
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 0072
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 0067
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0980
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 0967
RUEHYN/AMEMBASSY SANAA 1752
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RHEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 ADDIS ABABA 000812 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/E, AF/RSA, G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM 
STATE PASS USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN ELAB SMIG KFRD PREF ET
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA: TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT (PART 2 - 
PROSECUTION AND PROTECTION) 
 
REF: 06 STATE 202745 (NOTAL) 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00000812  001.2 OF 008 
 
 
¶1. (U) Per reftel, Post provides the following input on trafficking 
in persons issues in Ethiopia.  (Due to length of information 
reported, responses are being reported in two complementary 
cables.) 
 
¶2. (U) Responses are keyed to questions in paragraphs 27-30 of 
reftel. 
 
¶3. (SBU) QUESTION 29 - INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF 
TRAFFICKERS: 
 
¶A. The government enacted new legislation relating to trafficking in 
May 2005.  The May 2005 penal code improved trafficking-related 
language, outlaws labor-related trafficking, and replaces the former 
penal code of 1957. 
 
-- Article 596 (Enslavement) criminalizes any attempt to enslave, 
sell, alienate, buy, trade or exploit another person. 
 
-- Article 597 (Trafficking in Women and Children) criminalizes the 
recruitment, transportation, harboring, import, or export of women 
or minors for the purpose of forced labor. 
 
-- Article 598 (Unlawful Sending of Ethiopians for Work Abroad) 
criminalizes sending Ethiopian citizens abroad for work without a 
license. 
 
-- Article 599 (Participation of Illegal Associations and Juridical 
Persons) criminalizes any group or organization's participation in 
slave trade. 
 
-- Article 600 (Default of Supervision or Control) criminalizes any 
government official who fails to take all measures to control and 
prevent trafficking. 
 
-- Article 635 (Traffic in Women and Minors) specifically 
criminalizes the trafficking of men, women and children for 
prostitution. 
 
¶B. Those found in violation of these articles face 5 to 20 years 
imprisonment and a fine not to exceed 50,000 birr (approximately USD 
5,656).  For particularly egregious cases involving bodily harm, the 
penalty may be 10 to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment. 
Organizations found in violation Article 599 face a 100,000 birr 
(approximately USD 11,312) fine and dissolution. 
 
¶C. (Please refer to responses 29 A and B.) 
 
¶D. Article 589 of the penal code makes rape punishable by 
imprisonment not to exceed 10 years.  If committed against a child 
under age 15, or to anyone under the protective custody or 
supervision of the accused person, or by a number of persons acting 
in concert, rape is punishable by imprisonment not to exceed 15 
years.  Forced sexual assault as defined by article 590 of the penal 
code is punishable by imprisonment not exceeding 8 years, or with 
"simple imprisonment" for not less than 6 months.  Depending on 
which article is used to prosecute, the penalties for rape and 
sexual assault may be more or less severe than the penalties for 
trafficking. 
 
¶E. Prostitution is not legal in Ethiopia.  Article 634 (Habitual 
Exploitation for Pecuniary Gain) criminalizes the act of 
prostitution and those elements in support of it.  Prostitutes, 
brothel owner/operators, clients, and those who procure customers 
for prostitutes (pimps) are subject to a maximum of five years 
imprisonment.  In practice, however, few people are charged with 
prostitution or crimes related to prostitution.  Enforcement of 
Ethiopia's existing anti-prostitution laws has lagged. 
 
¶F. According to an NGO source, in 2006, some 925 cases of trafficked 
children were nationally reported to the police.  Of these, 67 cases 
have been referred to the prosecutor's office.  Of the 67 cases, one 
case (July 2006) has resulted in conviction and sentencing (13 years 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00000812  002.2 OF 008 
 
 
in prison and a 5,000 birr fine).  Twenty-three cases are currently 
pending prosecution, and the remaining 43 have been closed due 
either to lack of evidence or absconded defendants.  The low 
conviction rates partly result from an understaffed and overburdened 
judiciary, lack of cooperation with destination country governments, 
and alleged corruption on the part of responsible local authorities. 
 Traffickers often destroy evidence, making convictions difficult. 
 
-- The Forum for Street Children, a domestic NGO funded by 
international donors, reports the following cases of trafficked 
children and traffickers under investigation for March 2006 - 
January 2007: 816 cases of trafficked children reported to the 
police; 67 cases referred to the prosecutor office.  One case 
resulted in conviction, 23 cases are pending prosecution, and 43 
cases have been closed for lack of evidence. 
 
-- In February 2006, the Assistant Prosecutor-General clarified that 
the federal government?s previously compiled ?trafficking? data was 
coupled with ?fraud" cases.  Such "fraud" includes 
trafficking-related cases, but also unrelated crimes such as 
counterfeit checks and other scams.  As noted previously, the May 
2005 revised penal code recognizes and names trafficking as a crime. 
 Citing a total of 70,000 intermixed and backlogged criminal files 
in the prosecutor's office, the Assistant Prosecutor-General asserts 
that the GOE lacks the institutional capacity and resources to 
separate trafficking from fraud cases. Such cases would have to be 
reviewed individually to distinguish between trafficking and other 
types of fraud. 
 
-- 2005: Some 411 cases of trafficked children reported (332 female, 
79 male); 5 cases remain under investigation by police; 14 of 15 
cases sent to prosecutors later dropped; 1 individual sentenced to 6 
years imprisonment. 
 
-- 2004: Some 251 cases of trafficked children reported; 8 cases 
investigated (5 dropped for lack of evidence; 3 still pending); 11 
of 12 cases sent to prosecutors were later dropped for insufficient 
charges.  One individual was sentenced to 3 months and 15 days in 
prison. 
 
¶G. Information on who is behind trafficking has proven difficult to 
document.  According to MOJ, MOLSA and IOM sources, very small and 
loose rings of Ethiopians are central to trafficking activities. 
There are several well known operators in Addis who have extensive 
linkages both throughout Ethiopia and destination countries.  In the 
past, some worked under the cover of legitimate travel agencies. 
NGO representatives claim that traffickers tend to be individuals 
rather than organizations, and operate on a fairly small scale. 
They do not believe trafficking is operated or coordinated by 
international criminal organizations. 
 
--There is no report of organized crime families, gangs or the like 
participating in the trafficking process.  There have been reports 
of small groups of smugglers (3 to 6 in number) who ask for 200-300 
birr (USD 23-34) to help migrants cross borders away from 
checkpoints.  However these smugglers do not appear to belong to 
organized rings or sophisticated networks. 
 
-- The IOM Rapid Assessment (pp.33-42) reports: 
 
?The typical recruiter for external trafficking is a person who has 
returned from the country of destination, has relatives living in 
the country of destination, or frequently travels abroad for a 
legitimate purpose. The person is either known to the victim (or her 
family) or works through a facilitator known to them. Traffickers 
are most often local brokers? relatives and family members of 
migrant workers, outside brokers [and] legally registered employment 
and travel agencies.... 
 
?BROKERS: Local brokers (called ?delalas?), who operate at the 
community level and are usually known to the victim and her family, 
often recruit potential victims for trafficking.  Typically the 
broker is either a returnee from the country of destination or has 
relatives there.  Reports indicate many women who work in [Middle 
Eastern] countries traffic through their families in Ethiopia. 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00000812  003.2 OF 008 
 
 
Community members are more likely to trust traffickers with family 
members living and working abroad.  This has helped some families to 
establish a small business trafficking women and children.  In one 
case, a returnee reported that the broker who arranged for her 
travel to Beirut operated through her daughters, who live in three 
different countries in the Middle East. In some cases, families with 
children living abroad fraudulently claim that their children will 
help victims adjust to life abroad. In the words of one returnee: ?A 
woman introduced me to a broker and promised me that her daughter, 
who lived in Lebanon, would help me once I arrived.  Once in 
Lebanon, I met with the daughter. She had no idea that her mother 
had helped to arrange my travel or sent me to her.  She was very 
disappointed and angry with her mother.  She asked me why her mother 
had sent me to Lebanon to suffer after having read all the letters 
she wrote about the terrible conditions she was facing in Beirut.  I 
would never have trusted the broker or left Ethiopia if it wasn?t 
for the stories the mother told me about her daughter?s life.? 
 
?FACILITATORS: Brokers usually use facilitators for recruitment and 
do not directly contact victims and their families. Facilitators are 
typically neighbors or other persons known to the victim. This can 
also include close relatives and family members. The main tasks of 
facilitators in the recruitment process are to seek out potential 
victims, convince victims and their families of the benefits of 
working abroad, and arrange a meeting with the broker.  Though 
facilitators present themselves as concerned individuals, they 
actually receive commissions from brokers for each successfully 
trafficked woman and child.  The story of a returnee interviewed for 
this report sheds more light on the role of the facilitator in the 
recruitment process: ?I had just completed high school with poor 
results and was unemployed. At the Lideta Mariam ceremony organized 
by my mother, a woman I did not know came to our house with a 
neighbor.  The neighbor was a very close friend of my mother and 
very respected in the neighborhood.  The woman told my mother about 
girls my age who live in Beirut and send money to their parents. 
She spoke of a close friend whose daughter lives a very good life 
and helps her family, and offered to talk to her friend about the 
possibility of my working in Beirut.  The woman took my mother and 
me to the woman?s house a few days later to talk about the kind of 
work I am going to do in Beirut and the money we have to pay her. 
After the first meeting, I met the woman only a few times.  My 
mother paid her a total of three thousand birr.? 
 
?Working through facilitators benefits the brokers in many ways. 
Since the facilitators are known and trusted by the potential 
victims, there is a better chance of engaging the victims while at 
the same time reducing suspicion of active recruitment.  The 
arrangement also makes it easier for the broker to work in 
communities where he or she is not known. Additionally, the brokers 
are not held responsible for the victim?s exploitation in the eyes 
of the community.  Even the victims may not hold the broker 
responsible; since the involvement of a facilitator gives the 
impression that the victim or her family came to the broker seeking 
assistance.  The facilitator is also often considered blameless and 
seen as a good-intentioned neighbor or relative.  This arrangement 
has become the normal modus operandi in trafficking due to the 
increasingly hostile atmosphere created by publicity of cases of 
abuse and the increasing attention given by law enforcement agencies 
to trafficking, especially in Addis Ababa. 
 
?To avoid notoriety and detection by authorities, local brokers do 
not have established or official places of work.  They work from 
rented houses, neighborhood cafes or hotel rooms and do not publicly 
advertise their services.  To avoid being identified, brokers also 
move from place to place in larger towns and work through multiple 
facilitators.  According to a recent study, even the victims do not 
know the real names and addresses of the brokers who recruited and 
trafficked them. 
 
?Travel agencies and import-export businesses 
Unlike in other countries, organized crime groups do not play a 
significant role in the external trafficking of women and children 
in Ethiopia.  This does not, however, mean that organized groups are 
not involved in the process.  Travel agencies and import-export 
businesses are in a position to make the business of trafficking in 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00000812  004.2 OF 008 
 
 
persons from Ethiopia more efficient, organized and widespread. 
Their activities create frequent opportunities for travel to 
destination countries and contact with employment agents and 
individuals involved in trafficking at the destination side. 
 
?Not much is known about the recruitment methods used by owners and 
operators of travel agencies and import-export businesses.  They do 
not advertise their services since they are not licensed to arrange 
employment abroad.  Presumably, they work with local brokers and 
facilitators at the initial stages of recruitment in the manner 
discussed above. 
 
?THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS: As described above, most brokers recruit 
women and children in an informal manner using a facilitator.  The 
facilitator?s first task is to identify a child or woman who could 
be convinced to seek the help of the broker.  These are often 
parents in financial difficulty or with children out of school.  The 
facilitator befriends the potential victim or her family and 
suggests the possibility of employment in a foreign country as a 
means of dealing with the family?s problems.  Once the interest of 
the victim or parents has been secured, the facilitator offers to 
arrange a meeting with the broker. 
 
?The story of a returnee from Beirut describes this mode of 
recruitment: ?I was out of work and lived in my mother?s house.  My 
family was facing financial problems since my father left us. 
Although my mother was employed, she could not earn enough to 
support my four younger brothers and sisters.  A neighbor who works 
as a broker for housemaids told my mother about a woman who makes 
arrangements for employment in Lebanon.  Our neighbor advised us not 
to miss the chance to talk to her, even if I decided not to go 
abroad.  A few days later he arranged for a meeting at her house.? 
 
?The meeting with the broker may take place at his or her home, as 
in the above case.  However, in most cases the first meeting takes 
place in public places, which will be the only address the potential 
victim knows if the meeting is not successful.  Sometimes, brokers 
use the office of a legitimate activity, such as small brokerage 
houses for housemaids and places for purchase and sale of property, 
as cover operations.  More cautious brokers depend on prescreening 
by facilitators and contact only the victims they deem viable.  In 
such cases, the brokers use private meeting places like rooms rented 
in a private compound at an address known only to the facilitator. 
These rooms, arranged to make the victims assume that the broker 
lives there, are in many cases rented for a short time.  The broker 
moves periodically among different communities and neighborhoods. 
The purpose of the first meeting is to create a resolve on the part 
of the potential victim to migrate.  The broker reinforces her 
vision of migration abroad as the solution to her financial 
problems.  The broker draws an attractive picture of life in the 
destination country and of the promising conditions and terms of 
employment.  He reinforces these images with the often fictional 
stories of others he has sent to that country in the past.  The 
potential victim may not have a preferred country or may doubt the 
selection of the suggested country.  In this case, the broker will 
describe its many attractions in such a way that the potential 
victim is persuaded to select the country in which the broker has 
contacts.  The potential victim is not informed of any problems or 
challenges unless she specifically raises questions.  In cases where 
the victim asks about such matters, they are downplayed as rare 
incidents caused by exceptional circumstances. 
 
?Once the victim has been convinced to use a broker?s services of 
the broker, the issue of payment may be raised at the first or 
subsequent meetings.  Where the broker is hiding from the 
authorities, or fears exposure, the facilitator may handle all 
negotiations with the potential victim.  A woman trafficked to 
Beirut said she never met the broker who arranged her travel to 
Beirut: a friend, herself a recent returnee from the same country, 
handled everything.  The normal role of the facilitator in these 
meetings is as an advisor to the potential victim.  The facilitator, 
who has the trust of the victim, convinces her that the payment set 
by the broker is fair.  The total amount and manner of payment 
depends on several factors, primarily country of destination. 
Returnees interviewed for this report paid 2,000-8,000 birr. 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00000812  005.2 OF 008 
 
 
Returnees from Dubai paid highest amount, while returnees from Yemen 
paid 2,000 birr.  Those who traveled to Qatar and Bahrain paid 5,000 
thousand birr while those who traveled to Beirut paid between 
3,000-7,000 birr. 
 
?Another factor affecting the fee is whether it is directly 
negotiated by the victim. Payments tend to be higher when 
negotiations are mediated by a facilitator, who earns a commission 
on the deal.  A returnee from Beirut stated that she secured a 2,000 
birr (USD 226) deduction on the original 8,000 birr fee (USD 905), 
when she contacted the broker directly. 
 
?While there are written agreements between brokers and victims, 
most are made orally and are not witnessed by third parties; brokers 
sometimes use confidants as witnesses to create a facade of 
formality.  Normally, the fee is paid in two equal installments 
covering the broker?s services, and transportation to the 
destination country.  The first payment is due before the broker 
starts looking for employment.  The second is paid after travel 
arrangements have been completed, marked by the procurement of the 
entry visa or confirmation of the flight. 
 
?In many cases, parents finance their children?s migration by 
borrowing money from illegal loan sharks at exorbitant interest 
rates, through facilitators and local brokers.  One returnee stated 
that her mother borrowed 6,000 birr (approximately USD 679) to pay 
the local broker.  Another interviewee reported having to paying 
2,000 birr interest on a 6,000 birr loan. 
 
?Once fees are agreed upon and first payment is made, the potential 
migrant gives the broker a copy of her passport, one full body and 
one passport-size photograph, and a medical examination report 
proving that she does not suffer from any major ailment, in 
particular HIV/AIDS.  Sometimes, brokers keep the original passport, 
so that the victim cannot approach other brokers for a cheaper deal. 
 Copies of the victim?s passport and the photographs are then sent 
to the broker?s contacts in the country of destination for selection 
by potential employers.  Finding an employer through the foreign 
contacts usually takes a few weeks.  Upon confirmation of an 
interested employer, the broker faxes copies of the relevant 
documents to the country of destination to process and secures the 
necessary entry visa. 
 
?The victims handle all official processes within Ethiopia.  Brokers 
make non-official travel arrangements, like purchasing tickets and 
confirming flights, to avoid contact with any government authority 
and officially maintain the appearance of sending a legitimate 
migrant who secured employment abroad independently.  After the 
entrance visa is sent to Addis Ababa, usually within one month to 
one year, victims receive the visa and airplane ticket to the 
country of destination.? 
 
¶H. GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATION: The government employs surveillance 
techniques to monitor trafficking.  In the aftermath of the 2005 
election protests and violence, Addis police who had been 
traditionally assigned to special anti-trafficking units were 
temporarily reassigned to patrol duty.  As of June 2006, all 
specially assigned counter-trafficking police resumed their duties. 
Each of the 10 counter-trafficking police stations in Addis Ababa is 
assigned 3 police officers.  Police and immigration security 
officials are equipped to conduct electronic surveillance and 
undercover operations. 
 
¶I. SPECIALIZED TRAINING: In partnership with NGOs, the government 
has provided a limited number of officials with access to 
information and training in counter-trafficking.  During the 
reporting period, IOM conducted a series of capacity building 
trainings to various governmental and non-governmental organizations 
to raise their awareness and heighten their skills.  The 
counter-trafficking capacity-building for judges, police and 
prosecutors has provided participants with opportunities to discuss 
and identify gaps in laws and practices.  Training participants 
included presidents of regional supreme courts, police 
commissioners, and heads of regional justice bureaus.  By the end of 
the March 2007 reporting period, 110 law enforcement officials and 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00000812  006.2 OF 008 
 
 
members of the judiciary will have received training. 
 
¶J. EXTRADITION: According to the MFA, there have been no requests by 
any foreign government to extradite non-Ethiopians charged with 
trafficking.  The government does not extradite its own nationals 
charged with such offenses. 
 
¶K. COOPERATION IN INVESTIGATIONS: Police have been successful in 
thwarting potential trafficking of those transiting Addis Ababa's 
Bole International airport. However, according to MOLSA and the IOM, 
there is little international cooperation that occurs.  The MFA 
intends to heighten Ethiopian diplomats? awareness of the 
seriousness of trafficking problems in-country, by highlighting and 
contextualizing the issue in its training programs.  The MFA reports 
that neighboring destination countries have been hesitant to enter 
into any binding bilateral agreements with the GOE, despite the 
GOE?s attempts to initiate them. 
 
-- Ethiopia lacks diplomatic representation in several Gulf States. 
If funding permits, the GOE intends to open or expand a number of 
neighboring country consulates in coming years.  Currently, the 
GOE?s Embassy in Saudi Arabia is accredited to Oman, and its mission 
in Kuwait is accredited to Bahrain. 
 
¶L. GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT: There have been no official reports of 
the involvement of government officials in trafficking, but there 
are specific if unsubstantiated reports that this practice exists. 
No government official has ever been officially implicated or 
arrested on any trafficking charge. 
 
¶M. STEPS AGAINST OFFICIALS: (Please see above response to 29 L.) 
 
¶N. NUMBER OF PROSECUTIONS: Ethiopia is not a high-volume child sex 
tourism source or destination.  One foreign national has been 
convicted of pedophilia and is serving a nine-year sentence.  A 
newly established court for women and children has led to several 
convictions of Ethiopian sexual abusers.  While these convictions 
are not related to trafficking, NGOs see the court as a potentially 
useful tool for this purpose. 
 
¶O. INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS: The government signed and ratified ILO 
convention 182 (2003), ILO convention 29 (2003), and ILO convention 
105 (1999).  The government has neither signed nor ratified the 
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on 
the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography, nor 
the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in 
Persons, especially women and children.  However, both protocols 
have been submitted to the Council of Ministers for approval. 
 
-- The government signed and ratified ILO Convention 182 concerning 
the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the 
Worst Forms of Child Labor. 
 
-- The government signed and ratified ILO Convention 29 and 105 on 
Forced or Compulsory Labor. 
 
-- The government signed and ratified the Optional Protocol to the 
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on the Sale of Children, 
Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography. 
 
-- The government signed and ratified the Protocol to Prevent, 
Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and 
Children, supplementing the UN Convention Against Transnational 
Organized Crime 
 
¶4. (SBU) QUESTION 30 - PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS: 
 
¶A. MOLSA and NGO sources report that the government does not have 
the resources to provide any material assistance to victims of 
trafficking.  Consulates in Beirut and Dubai dispense limited legal 
advice to trafficked victims and provide temporary shelter to them 
on (infrequent) occasion.  The government does not provide temporary 
loans to trafficked victims who do not have the financial means to 
be repatriated.  There is neither a specially designated victim care 
program nor victim-specific health care facilities in Ethiopia. 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00000812  007.2 OF 008 
 
 
Returned trafficked victims must rely on psychological services 
provided by public health institutions.  MOJ is exploring how to 
more effectively identify NGOs or community-based organizations who 
can and do provide such services, as well as to improve referral 
systems. 
 
¶B. GOVERNMENT FUNDING: MOLSA, EWLA, and IOM confirm that the 
government does not provide any funding or other forms of support to 
foreign or domestic NGOs for services to victims. 
 
¶C. IDENTIFYING VICTIMS: The MOJ plans to expand Addis Ababa 
screening and referral programs for children to other large cities 
and rural transport points.  Each Addis Ababa police station is 
affiliated with a child protection unit, which collects information 
regarding victims, and aims to reunify them with their family. 
Shelter facilities are limited, especially for boys. 
 
¶D. VICTIMS? RIGHTS: The government respects the rights of victims 
upon their return.  There have been no reports of returned 
trafficked victims being detained, jailed, or prosecuted for 
violations of other laws, such as those governing immigration or 
prostitution. 
 
¶E. VICTIMS? RESTITUTION: According to NGO sources, government 
authorities have not made any concerted effort to interview returned 
trafficked victims about their experiences.  Many returned victims 
fear retribution not only from accused traffickers but also from 
other trafficked persons trapped in destination countries.  There is 
no codified legal barrier to victims pursuing civil suits or seeking 
legal action against traffickers.  There is no victim restitution 
program. 
 
¶F. GOVERNMENT PROTECTION: The government accords no special 
protections, shelter, and other housing or special services benefits 
to trafficking victims or witnesses. 
 
¶G. GOVERNMENT TRAINING: In 2006 and early 2007, MOLSA officials and 
their inter-ministerial counterparts have been involved in 
NGO-brokered training, as supported by Post. However, MOLSA reports 
that many Ethiopian diplomats remain largely uninformed about 
trafficking issues as they receive little to no briefings on the 
topic.  The MFA intends to include anti-trafficking in future 
training for its diplomatic corps.  The Ethiopian consul-general in 
Beirut collaborates with NGOs in their anti-trafficking efforts. 
 
¶H. GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE:  MOLSA reports that there is extremely 
limited government assistance available to trafficked victims in 
Ethiopia or in destination countries.  Ethiopia?s Beirut consulate 
negotiates with employers and agents under particular circumstances 
(e.g., when an employer refuses to pay a worker's salary, or to 
furnish a migrant worker with a return ticket).  It reportedly 
provides limited legal advice and serves as a temporary shelter for 
trafficked victims awaiting funds from family members or friends to 
pay off traffickers so that they can return to Ethiopia.  MOLSA 
reports that the government helped transport Ethiopian women 
trafficked to Yemen to return to Ethiopia via bus. 
 
¶I. NGOs:  The Addis Ababa-based Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association 
funds counseling and professional training for returned trafficking 
victims, and sent an attorney to Beirut on more than one occasion to 
offer legal assistance to victims there. 
 
-- The Forum for Street Children, a local NGO, has opened a center 
for sexually abused and exploited girls, offering education, 
counseling, and basic health information.  It also has undertaken a 
child protection project within police stations for child victims of 
abuse. 
 
-- Gemanaye Ethiopia Association is an NGO founded in 2002 to foster 
awareness about working conditions in the Middle East to young women 
hoping to migrate there.  Its Addis Miraf rehabilitation and 
reintegration shelter, established in June 2004, currently assists 
12 women trafficking victims with limited counseling and vocational 
training service.  Victim assistance includes the provision of 
shelter, food, medical services, skills training and help with 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00000812  008.2 OF 008 
 
 
establishing a small business.  In 2006, the shelter provided 
vocational training for 8 women victims. 
 
-- The Organization for Prevention, Rehabilitation and Integration 
of Female Street Children (OPFRIS) is an indigenous NGO founded in 
2000 to provide shelter and vocational training to young women 
victims of internal trafficking. 
 
-- The Good Samaritan Association has established a shelter for 
assisting victims of internal and cross-border trafficking.  Victim 
assistance includes the provision of shelter, food, medical 
services, skills training, and assistance in setting up a small 
business.  So far, more than 65 trafficking victims, including 
children, have either received or are receiving support.  Children 
Protection Units (CPUs) of the Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa Police, in 
collaboration with the Forum on Street Children (a local NGO) refer 
the children to IOM.  Child victims reunified with their families 
have received financial support to continue education. 
 
-- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Addis Ababa 
started its counter-trafficking program in 2001, aimed at 
contributing to the GOE?s counter-trafficking efforts.  Main 
components are a counseling service for migrants, potential 
migrants, returnees and their families; capacity building of 
government, NGOs and school personnel; basic assistance, training 
and counseling to victims of trafficking; and a campaign to enhance 
trafficking awareness among schools and the general public. 
 
-- Project Concern International (PCI) established its presence in 
Ethiopia in 2005, working with local organizations to provide 
support services to vulnerable children, prevent disease, improve 
community health, and promote sustainable development. In 2006, the 
Ministry of Justice designed a project proposal for funding 
counter-trafficking awareness campaigns and submitted it to Post. 
Post approved a USD 20,000 grant which PCI utilized to implement two 
regional training workshops for government officials and NGO 
representatives. 
 
WILGUS