Mengstu

I. STATEMENT OF FACTS

Ruth Aynom Mengtsu is an Ethiopian national of Eritrean descent. She was born in 1976 in Asmara, Ethiopia.1 When she was five years old, she moved to Addis Ababa, the Ethio- pian capital, with her family. Mengtsu completed high school and studied at a technical school for two years, graduating in 1995. She married, and, in 1999, sought employment because she felt that she “should leave the house and be productive.” She was hired as a secretary in a glass work store. The owner, Robel Berhe, was also Eritrean, as were several of his employees.

In May 1998, armed conflict erupted between Ethiopia and Eritrea. During the war, approximately 75,000 Ethiopians of Eritrean origin were forcibly expelled and bused to Eritrea. The justification for these expulsions was simply suspect sta- tus as “Eritreans.” People in urban areas were frequently arrested in their homes or workplaces. Arrestees were typi- cally interned, often under very harsh conditions, prior to deportation.

In February 1999, Mengstu’s husband was deported. According to Mengtsu’s testimony, the Ethiopian police “just picked him up and took him away.” He was in the business district at the time,…