South African Police Rescue 90 Ethiopian Migrants Held Captive

In a major operation, South African police have rescued 90 Ethiopian migrants who were being held against their will at a property in Johannesburg. The migrants were found packed into small rooms and kept locked up, with authorities believing they were illegally trafficked.

According to police, they carried out a search at the property on Sunday for a person reported to have been kidnapped. Instead, they discovered the migrants and arrested two people on suspicion of kidnapping and human trafficking. The alleged kidnapping victim was also rescued, police said on Monday.

The rescued migrants were taken to a hospital for medical care, while the two suspects will face charges in court.

The trafficking of Ethiopian migrants through southern African countries has raised concerns among authorities, including Interpol. In recent years, several tragic incidents have been reported, including the discovery of 64 bodies of Ethiopian migrants inside a freight container in Mozambique in 2020, and the finding of 30 bodies in a mass grave in Malawi and 27 bodies dumped in Zambia, all in 2022.

This latest rescue highlights the severity of the issue and the need for continued efforts to combat human trafficking.