Most dangerous human smuggler in grip of Interpol: Will tragedy of immigrants end?

Interpol said on Friday, January 6 that it has arrested notorious human trafficker Kidane Zekarias Habtemariam, known for his cruel and violent behavior against migrants, in Sudan thanks to international cooperation.

Both Ethiopia and the Netherlands issued two Interpol Red Notices against Eritrean smuggler Habtemariam on charges of migrant smuggling, human trafficking and other related offenses.

Interpol confirmed that it had been monitoring Habtemariam since 2019 and that he was wanted for leading a major criminal organization behind the kidnapping, extortion and killing of immigrants from East Africa.

Habtemariam was an accomplice of notorious Eritrean smuggler Tewelde Goitom, who detained and tortured Eritrean, Ethiopian, Somali and Sudanese migrants in Libya, and raped women. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison in October 2021.

The Ethiopian authorities were able to arrest Habtemariam in 2020, but he managed to escape one year later, after which he was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment. It is estimated that Kidane trafficked “hundreds of victims.”

Joint police effort

Sudanese police arrested Kidane in Sudan on January 1, in coordination with the UAE authorities, according to Saeed Abdullah Al Suwaidi, Director General of the Federal Anti-Narcotics General Directorate of the UAE’s Ministry of Interior.

Last year, the UAE authorities, with the help of Interpol, launched an investigation targeting Kidane's network, including his brother, who “laundered money on his behalf,” noting that these financial transactions “enabled them to locate Kidane in Sudan.”

“We have now closed one of the most important smuggling routes to Europe, which illegally transported thousands of migrants from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan via Libya to Europe,” the statement quoted Al Suwaidi as saying.

UAE Minister of Interior Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan tweeted that the international process began nine months ago, with the participation of the Dutch, Ethiopian and Sudanese authorities.

“In March 2022, intelligence gathered by Interpol’s Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants unit prompted a task force meeting with participants from Ethiopia, Sudan, the Netherlands, UAE, Europol and Regional Operational Center in support of the Khartoum process and the African Union Horn of Africa Initiative (ROCK). Officers explored analytical gaps, progressively closing in on the fugitive and his associates,” reported Interpol.

Khartoum process

The Khartoum Process (EU-Horn of Africa Migration Route Initiative) is a political cooperation platform that includes countries along the migration route between the Horn of Africa and Europe. It was launched in November 2014 during the Ministerial Conference held in the Italian capital, Rome.

The platform aims for intercontinental joint action to promote continuous dialogue and cooperation on migration issues, tackling human trafficking and smuggling of migrants, and stimulating regional cooperation between countries of origin, transit and destination regarding the migration route between the Horn of Africa and Europe.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 66-77% of migrants along these routes have experienced unpaid labor, forced labor, forced detention, or are the target of arranged marriage.

IOM confirmed that the refugees detained inside the camps in Sudan are experiencing poor living conditions and insufficient security, as they are vulnerable to the claws of smugglers or human traffickers. As for women, they are subjected to sexual violence and gender discrimination.

However, the Khartoum Process has been criticized by activists and scholars and has been accused of human rights violations. Critics said that EU funding too often goes toward the hunt for fleeing refugees and migrants, who are detained and possibly tortured by the Libyan and Sudanese authorities.