From Sawa to the Sinai Desert: The Eritrean Tragedy of Human Trafficking

Mekonnen, Daniel; Estefanos, Meron

doi:10.2139/ssrn.2055303

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…The briefing paper drew attention to the inadequate response by Egyptian and Israeli authorities to provide protection, and reported that 178 out of 682 survivors had stated that they had been shot at on the Israeli-Egyptian border. Mekonnen and Estefanos (2012) and Humphris (2012) described a link between the deplorable human rights situation in Eritrea and the proportion of Eritreans among Sinai Trafficking victims. Van Reisen, Estefanos, & Rijken (2012) reported that victims were predominantly of Eritrean origin (95% of all hostages).…”

Section: Origin Of a New Practice Of Trafficking In Sinaimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An English reference to this report appeared in the Egypt Independent in December 2011. In a translation of the Youm7 report in English cited by Mekonnen and Estefanos (2012) the report claimed that "Those who are unable to pay the ransom face a number of horrendous violations such as torture, electrocution, rape and other forms of violations. Some have suffered removal of organs to settle the ransom.…”

Section: The Disputed Dimension Of Organ Traffickingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sinai Trafficking: Origin and Definition of a New Form of Human Trafficking

Reisen

Rijken²

2015

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The phenomenon that is coined "Sinai Trafficking" started in 2009 in the Sinai desert. It involves the abduction, extortion, sale, torture, sexual violation and killing of men, women and children. Migrants, of whom the vast majority are from Eritrean descent, are abducted and brought to the Sinai desert, where they are sold and resold, extorted for very high ransoms collected by mobile phone, while being brutally and "functionally" tortured to support the extortion. Many of them die in Sinai. Over the last five years broadcasting stations, human rights organisations and academics have reported on the practices in the Sinai and some of these reports have resulted in some confusion on the modus operandi. Based on empirical research by the authors and the analysis of data gathered in more than 200 recorded interviews with Sinai hostages and survivors on the practices, this article provides a definition of Sinai Trafficking. It argues that the term Sinai Trafficking can be used to differentiate a particular new set of criminal practices that have first been reported in the Sinai Peninsula. The article further examines how the new phenomenon of Sinai Trafficking can be framed into the legal human trafficking definition. The interconnectedness of Sinai Trafficking with slavery, torture, ransom collection, extortion, sexual violence and other severe crimes is presented to substantiate the use of the trafficking framework. The plight of Sinai survivors in Israel and Egypt is explained to illustrate the cyclical process of the trafficking practices especially endured by Eritreans, introduced as the Human Trafficking Cycle. The article concludes by setting out areas for further research.

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Section: Origin Of a New Practice Of Trafficking In Sinaimentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Disputed Dimension Of Organ Traffickingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sinai Trafficking: Origin and Definition of a New Form of Human Trafficking

Reisen

Rijken²

2015

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show abstract

“…I synthesized the primary data with data from previous research, mainstream media products, and other reports. The bulk of the existing literature on Sinai trafficking is produced by academic activists (e.g., Fisseha, 2015;Mekonnen & Estefanos, 2011;van Reisen et al, 2012van Reisen et al, , 2013, human rights organizations (e.g., HRW, UNHCR), and media reports (e.g., CNN). This existing knowledge of Sinai trafficking focuses on establishing proof of human rights violations and producing reports.…”

Section: Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In doing so, the Eritrean government turned the country into an "open air prison" by suspending the rule of law and closing all media outlets except the strictly censored national media (van Reisen et al, 2014, p. 280). The widespread repression, open-ended national service, and socio-economic deprivation in Eritrea triggered a mass emigration of people seeking international protection as refugees (Andom, 2018;Kibreab, 2013;Mekonnen & Estefanos, 2011;Simpson, 2014). Many Eritreans crossed into neighboring countries, such as Sudan and Ethiopia, in search of safety.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%