IOM alarmed after 27 suspected Ethiopian migrants found dead in Zambia

By James Kunda

LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) - The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Monday that it was alarmed after the bodies of 27 migrants believed to be Ethiopians were found abandoned over the weekend in Zambia’s capital, Lusaka.

"This tragedy comes less than two months after the bodies of 30 Ethiopian migrants were discovered in a mass grave in neighboring Malawi and two years after 64 Ethiopian men were found dead, asphyxiated, in a sealed shipping container in Mozambique. IOM calls on the authorities to ensure a dignified recovery, identification and transfer of the remains of the deceased migrants," it said in a statement.

It said the discovery on the outskirts of the capital highlights the urgent need to address the challenges of irregular migration, including through a transnational response to the smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons along the “Southern Route” which runs from the Horn of Africa to southern Africa.

"IOM also calls on governments along the route to enhance regional cooperation to ensure the safety and protection of migrants, regardless of their status and across all stages of their journeys. Preventing migrant deaths starts with creating and strengthening possibilities for safe and regular migration in a manner that upholds the right to family life and responds to the needs of migrants in a situation of vulnerability," it added.

Zambia is one of several countries of transit for thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa who travel along the Southern Route towards South Africa mainly in search of livelihood opportunities.

Irregular migration along the route is facilitated by an intricate network of smugglers and traffickers and is fraught with extreme risk to life.

Namati Nshinka, an immigration department spokesman for Zambia, told reporters Monday that a joint investigations team had been set up to probe the deaths of the 27 migrants and the harm caused to the sole survivor.

"The team includes officers from the immigration department and the Zambia police. The one who was found alive at the scene and rushed to the hospital is in stable condition and responding well to treatment," Nshinka said.

He added that the identities of the deceased and survivor, who are between the ages of 20 and 38, were yet to be established.