text: Ethiopian immigrants ‘walked for nine months’ to Zimbabwe
text: #000002
text: Brothers fighting brothers: Poor border demarcation developed into military conflict and full-scale war in the late 1990s in which tens of thousands of people were killed. Despite the official cessation of hostilities in 2000, Ethiopia and Eritrea continued their war through proxies. Photo/FILE AFP
text: #000003
text: Twelve Ethiopian illegal immigrants walked for nine months to Zimbabwe to escape religious tensions in the Horn of Africa nation, a court was told on Monday.
text: #000004
text: On Friday, they were sentenced to three months in prison, which was wholly suspended for five years on condition they do not remain in Zimbabwe without proper documentation.
text: #000006
text: “I walked for nine months to Zimbabwe because of religious tensions in my country. I was hoping to get peace and job opportunities,” one of them said.
text: #000007
text: “My parents were killed while I watched and they burnt our farm which was our only means of survival. We came here seeking asylum because life had become difficult in Ethiopia.
text: #000009
text: According to the magistrate Abedinico Ndebele, it would be a waste of money to fine the immigrants as they had no money.
text: #000012
text: “This court understands that there is instability in your country and that most of you are young people who entered Zimbabwe for the first time,” Mr Ndebele said.
text: #000013
text: Last week, an Ethiopian pilot was arrested in Geneva after he hijacked the plane in a plot to get asylum. (READ: Ethiopian plane hijacker ‘was co-pilot’)
text: #000015
text: The man told police he “felt threatened in Ethiopia and wants to seek asylum in Switzerland.”
text: #000016
text: kokeet: me faakii isaa but erga...
  Abdisa: Atiyyuu seenaa dhugaa barreessitee hin jirtu seenaan dhugaa jallifamee hin barre...
text: #000035