A damning report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) has exposed the alleged mass killing of Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers by Saudi border guards at the Yemen-Saudi border. The report claims that between March 2022 and June 2023, hundreds of migrants attempting to cross the border were targeted and brutally attacked. According to HRW, if this is proven to be part of a government policy, these killings could be classified as a crime against humanity.
The 73-page report, titled "'They Fired on Us Like Rain': Saudi Arabian Mass Killings of Ethiopian Migrants at the Yemen-Saudi Border," details how Saudi border guards utilized explosive weapons and shot migrants at close range, including women and children. Shockingly, in some instances, the guards reportedly asked migrants which limb they preferred to be shot before carrying out the act. It was also discovered that explosive weapons were fired at those attempting to flee back to Yemen.
Nadia Hardman, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, stated, "Saudi officials are killing hundreds of migrants and asylum seekers in this remote border area out of view of the rest of the world." She further criticized the Saudi government's attempts to improve its international image through investments in sports and entertainment, stating that it should not distract from the heinous crimes being committed.
The report is based on interviews with 42 individuals, including 38 Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers who had attempted to cross the Yemen-Saudi border during the specified period. Additionally, hundreds of videos, photographs, and satellite images were analyzed as evidence. Human Rights Watch claims to have reached out to both Saudi and Houthi authorities, with only the latter responding to their letter.
Approximately 750,000 Ethiopians currently reside and work in Saudi Arabia, with many leaving their home country due to economic reasons or to escape human rights abuses. The report suggests that the killings at the border are an alarming escalation in both frequency and brutality. It describes a pattern where migrants would cross the Gulf of Aden in unsafe vessels and be taken to Saada governorate, controlled by the Houthi armed group. There, smugglers allegedly worked in conjunction with Houthi forces, extorting money from the migrants before further transferring them to detention centers.
It is reported that groups of up to 200 migrants would regularly attempt to cross the border into Saudi Arabia, often persisting in multiple attempts despite being pushed back by Saudi border guards. The HRW report sheds light on the dire situation faced by Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers, calling for immediate action to address these atrocities.
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