Malawi and Ethiopia have signed a landmark bilateral agreement in Addis Ababa aimed at combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling between the two nations.

The pact follows a sharp increase in illicit networks trafficking Ethiopian nationals through Malawi into the Southern African Development Community region, as well as Malawians being smuggled to the Middle East via Addis Ababa.

The signing was attended by Malawi’s Minister of Homeland Security, Peter Mukhito, and Ethiopia’s State Minister of Justice, Belayhun Yirga Kifile, alongside officials from the African Union, International Organisation for Migration, Interpol, and the United Nations.

Speaking at the signing, Mukhito emphasised that law enforcement agencies and international partners are actively tracking trafficking networks and assisting victims.

“Most of these cases are reported through the police, and some are reported through immigration, and also through our foreign missions, including the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare,” Mukhito said. “The latest published international assessment report noted that Malawi identified and referred almost 248 trafficking victims for care, and that report came out in 2024.”

The new bilateral framework aims to facilitate joint operations, information sharing, and victim protection mechanisms between the two East and Southern African countries.

–ChannelAfrica–