“I Am Going to Saudi Arabia or to My Grave”
By Getahun Tsegaye
Staff Reporter
Published: 23 April 2025 | Source: The New Humanitarian
By the thousands, young Ethiopians—mostly from the Oromo ethnic group—are abandoning their hometowns for a dangerous journey toward Saudi Arabia, seeking a better life or simply an escape from hopelessness.
The movement reflects a wider generational despair that took root in Oromia over a decade ago. In 2014, the Qeerroo protests erupted—an expression of deep frustration over landlessness, joblessness, and repression. The movement helped topple Ethiopia’s prime minister in 2018 and ushered in Abiy Ahmed, the first Oromo leader in Ethiopia’s history. But seven years later, many of the Qeerroo’s hopes remain unrealized.
“Corruption is completely out of control, and prisons across Oromia are filled with people,” said Terje Østebø, a scholar of the region. “There is so much discontent and hopelessness.”
In rural Oromia, the signs are everywhere. Fields are overcrowded, jobs are scarce, and migration is rising at staggering rates. Local officials in Kofele estimate up to 10,000 people leave their district annually.
“It is difficult for young people to sustain their lives here,” said Bushra Ibrahim, a Qeerroo representative in Ashoka. “They feel they have no choice but to go abroad and change their lives.”
Many are lured by dalalas—smugglers who promise transport, new clothes, and jobs in the Gulf. The majority take the Eastern Route through Somaliland, Somalia, and Yemen, often ending in Saudi Arabia if they survive.
The risks are grave. Over 550 migrants died in 2024 alone—drowning, beatings, or abuse en route. Yet the flow continues. In 2024, over 234,000 Ethiopians tried to leave via the Red Sea route, with Oromos accounting for the majority.
The human toll is visible in homes like that of Negesu Tabse, a farmer in Kofele. His 17-year-old son Abdelfattah vanished in 2023, later calling from Las Anod, Somaliland. “He said he needed to work and change his life. So he didn’t come back,” Negesu said after paying a ransom to smugglers who had threatened to kill his son.
Just across the road, Bonsai Said lost two sons to the same path. One, Musa, was beaten and extorted before eventually reaching Saudi Arabia. His mother recalled his words: “Don’t follow me. The road and the situation is very difficult.” But within a month, his brother Ramato followed, and the family hasn’t heard from him since.
Despite all this, the exodus continues. In Hargeisa, The New Humanitarian met young Oromos walking on foot under blistering heat, carrying nothing but hope and desperation. Back in Kofele, the youth have coined a grim new motto:
“Gala Suudii, yookin gala luudii” — “I am going to Saudi Arabia, or to my grave.”
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Dear Editors,
How come you allowed the divisive and bigoted comment like this one? This is the time where the unity of every ethnic group is the most priority. The unity of the two largest ethnic groups of Amharas and Oromos is most needed. Esteemed website like Borkena should never be used to spew around bigotry and destructive diatribe. It is a family show and not a modern day Neues Volk, Ethiopian bigot style.
Thank you for it. Removed. Probably as mentioned before, borkena is short staffed. The reason we launched a voluntary subscription for just $1.25 (less than a cup of coffee a month) is to have more staff members to address issues like these…
Dear Editors,
Thank for removing the comment that does not belong on this esteemed family show website. I remember you telling us how you are short staffed. That is why I watch it for you like a hawk. Some individuals are just mean but as long as we peace mongers have still kept that gem of humanity and the colored in particular close to our heart, such loose lips will never succeed in tearing it up. Governments have come and gone but those proud people are still together. Those two groups of people have proven themselves to be the pillars of that darling of a nation. They had spilled their Allah Blessed blood protecting the country from demonic invaders. Their blood did not spill in separate ways on the battlefield of Adwa in 1896 and fought together to keep more than 250,000 of Mussolini’s fascist soldiers tied up for 5 years from 1936 thru 1941. They don’t deserve to be insulted in the most profane ways like that. Kudos to you for showing the ‘balaga/eyal-al-souq’ the door. We got your back.