The two countries of the Horn of Africa have signed an agreement in Addis Ababa to protect the safety of migrant workers in their countries.
This agreement, which was signed under the coordination of the International Labor Organization or ILO is aimed to enable cooperation, protection and to be done on the safety of workers.
The agreement was signed by the president of the Confederation of Ethiopian trade union Association, Mr. Kasahun Folo, his Somalia counterpart, Omar Faruk Osman, and the ILO Horn of Africa Coordinator, Alexio Musindo.
Mr. Kasahun said that the MOU would ensure the safety of Ethiopian workers who entered Somalia.
He also said that they are discussing signing similar agreements to ensure the safety of Ethiopian migrant workers who are going to East Africa and Middle East countries.
He said that the preliminary preparations for signing an agreement to protect the security of Ethiopian migrant workers in South Sudan have been completed recently.
In the future, similar agreements will be made with the countries where Ethiopian refugees travel, such as Djibouti, Kenya, Bahrain, and other Arab countries.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) Horn of Africa Coordinator Alexio Musindo said the agreement between the Ethiopian and Somali Employers’ Federation protects against discrimination, violence, and worker safety.
He also mentioned that many citizens of the Horn of Africa countries are facing various abuses while traveling to each other countries and the Middle East countries.
The ILO has also expressed support and pressure for other countries to work together and make agreements for the safety of workers from Ethiopia and Somalia.
A year ago, ILO announced that more than 200,000 people traveled to the Middle East from the eastern route.
According to a UN report, there are more than 250 thousand Somali refugees in Ethiopia and more than 35 thousand Ethiopian refugees in Somalia.
