Like many citizens of the world coming to Arab countries in search of jobs and better life, there are a great number of Ethiopians in the Middle East and North African countries. Among these the numbers of citizens traveling to either work and live in the Middle East countries or use these countries as gateways to other European countries is enormous.
Meanwhile, the ongoing crisis in the Arab World is endangering the lives of millions of other citizens who reside in these countries. As a result of popular uprising as some call it “The Arab Revolution”, there is no stability, law and order.
According to the latest reports by the German Deutsche Welle Radio, Ethiopian emigrants in Libya are in great trouble and even murdered being accused of the many alleged mercenaries hired by President Muammar Al Gaddafi to kill his own people to counter the protests. The fact that Ethiopia does not have an embassy in Libya makes the safety and security of Ethiopians there even worst.
The Arab peoples’ power that some what appears to be one of the fastest revolutions in the history of governments to overthrow dictatorship may also change our attitudes towards the democracy and governance of the Arab countries. For the time being, many hope that a better time is coming for the Arab world which enables them to benefit from their oil wealth, there by changing peoples’ lives for the better.
So far, it does not look like that the people benefited from their wealth; but rather the ruling dictatorial and the surroundings of the kings and khalifates that are the beneficiaries of the wealth of many Arab countries.
We hope that the post-dictatorial governments to come that this will be a new era of the Arab world, awarding them with their basic democratic rights, which will make the Middle East more or less a better place to work as an emigrant.
In the meantime, the government’s priority should be the safety and security of our citizens living in those countries, since one of the major responsibilities of a Government is to protect and safeguard the well being of its citizens abroad, especially during instabilities.
The Ethiopian Government so far did not make official statement regarding the safety of our citizens living in the countries where popular uprising is going on and the situation getting worst every hour.
The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), should give priority and show serious concern to our citizens. It has to act immediately to the situation of our citizens in the Middle East and North Africa through embassies and consular offices found in the proximity of these countries like Sudan, Algeria, Egypt, Bahrain and Dubai, where the situation seems to be relatively better; at least for now.
As a responsible citizen and media New Business Ethiopia is very much concerned about the lives of many Ethiopians in the disturbed Arab countries. The ever-growing remittance that the country is getting from our brothers and sisters can only be sustainable and contribute to our development when and only when the safety, security and well being of our citizens living in different parts of the world including the Middle East and North Africa is ensured.
We therefore urge MoFA to act faster and safeguard the well being of Ethiopian emigrants found in the Middle East and North African countries.
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