Abraham Liben

Abraham Liben joined Addis Ababa University's (AAU) Faculty of Social Sciences for undergraduate studies in Social Work in September of 2003. In his second year of studies, AAU expelled him after participating in an event celebrating Oromo culture. Oromo students were demanding minority rights, which, in turn, escalated into clashes with the police. Subsequently, Abraham was detained for about a year. Upon his release Abraham was forced to leave Ethiopia due to his political affiliations. Since his arrival in Egypt in 2011, he has been interpreting testimonies of Ethiopian refugees for UNHCR and other organisations. He hopes to help Cairo's Ethiopian refugee community during and beyond his studies at CILAS. Abraham has repeatedly expressed his keen interest in understanding the legal implications of forced migration. Abraham sees CILAS as a mirror that reflects social interaction. He plans to pursue an undergraduate degree after his year at CILAS.