Saudi Security Forces Accused of Killing Ethiopian Migrants at Yemen Border, HRW Says
Saudi security forces have been implicated in the killing of hundreds of Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers at the country’s border with Yemen, according to a report released by Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday. The human rights organization alleged that security forces shot people at close range and used explosive weapons to target groups in the mountains, potentially constituting crimes against humanity.
The report by HRW details a widespread and systematic pattern of killings, based on interviews with witnesses, analysis of photos, videos, and satellite imagery dating back to 2021. HRW emphasizes that if these killings were part of a Saudi government policy to murder migrants, they would amount to a crime against humanity.
The alleged abuses involve Saudi forces, including border guards and possibly specialized units, and are said to have resulted in the deaths of potentially thousands of Ethiopians in recent years. Survivors and detainees have also reportedly been subjected to torture, rape, and other forms of inhumane treatment.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry has not responded to requests for comment, and HRW claims that a letter sent to multiple Saudi institutions did not receive a response at the time of publication.
Yemen and Ethiopia, both embroiled in conflicts, have seen a surge in migration from the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Ethiopia has been plagued by violent conflict, resulting in a humanitarian crisis. The United Nations reported that more than 24 million people affected by conflict, drought, and hunger in Ethiopia received humanitarian assistance in 2022.
HRW estimates that more than 90 percent of migrants traveling along the “Eastern Route” to Saudi Arabia are Ethiopians fleeing war, hunger, and persecution. This dangerous journey starts in the Horn of Africa, crosses the Gulf of Aden, and passes through war-torn Yemen before reaching Saudi Arabia’s Jizan province.
According to the International Organization for Migration, around 750,000 Ethiopians reside in Saudi Arabia, with most of them having arrived through irregular means. Both Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi movement, which controls the northern Saada province near the Saudi border, have faced accusations of holding migrants in poor conditions and subjecting them to abuse.
HRW’s report sheds light on the escalating violence faced by Ethiopians at the border, with testimonies recounting horrifying scenes of rapacious smugglers, piles of corpses, and mortar and rocket attacks causing dismemberment and death among migrants.
The report includes interviews with 42 Ethiopians who attempted the journey or had knowledge of others who tried between March 2022 and June 2023. It also analyzes numerous photos, videos, and satellite imagery to corroborate the locations of border posts, detention camps, and burial sites.
Nadia Hardman, a researcher at HRW, condemned Saudi officials for killing migrants and asylum seekers in a remote border area away from the world’s view. Hardman emphasized that the Saudi border guards knew or should have known that they were firing at unarmed civilians.
HRW called for an independent and impartial investigation into the alleged crimes, including by the United Nations. The report raised concerns about Saudi Arabia’s previous record of failing to address serious human rights abuses and questioned the country’s commitment to conducting a meaningful investigation into the allegations.