Addis Ababa---On the walls of homes in the poor Cherkos neighbourhood of Ethiopia's capital, the portraits of "martyrs" killed in their attempt to enter Europe offer a grim warning.
The murders of several Ethiopian Christians last month in Libya horrified Ethiopians and sparked global condemnation, including from Pope Francis who expressed his "great distress and sadness".
At least five of the victims out of the group of 28 migrants on the gruesome video were recognised as coming from this poor neighbourhood in the heart of the Ethiopian capital and its tightly packed clusters of simple brick, tin roof buildings.
"We were about to leave, now we will wait a bit, but not too long," said one young man aged around 20, sitting with friends, all shocked by having watched the horrific executions on their mobile telephones.
"In a few months this will all be forgotten. But our situation has not changed."
Sitting on the side of the street and recounting their frustrations, the three young men instead point to the "20 or so" migrants who they say they know have made it to Europe -- to Malta, Sweden, Britain and Germany.
"They've transformed their lives and the lives of their families," one of them said.
Ethiopia's economy is one of the best performers in Africa, and foreign investment is pouring in. But without any qualifications, the young men say they have little hope of a good job -- beyond labouring for around 50 biirs (just under $3) a day.
The way out is well-known: a bus ride to neighbouring Sudan, then the crossing of the Sahara desert to reach the Libyan capital Tripoli, which is 3,700 kilometres (2,300 miles) from Addis Ababa. After that it's a case of finding a boat to Italy.
In all, the journey coast between $2,500 and $5,000, a fortune but one that most think they can pay back as soon as they strike gold in Europe.
The lucky ones reach Europe in a few weeks, with Ethiopians declaring themselves Eritreans in order to seek asylum. Some, however, end up stuck in Libya, short of cash. Others simply disappear.
AFP
