Saudi Arabian border guards have reportedly killed hundreds of Ethiopian immigrants in just 15 months.
Saudi Arabian Border Guards Accused of Killing Ethiopian Immigrants
According to a new report released by Human Rights Watch, Saudi Arabian border guards have been implicated in the deaths of hundreds of Ethiopian immigrants seeking refuge in the kingdom between March 2022 and June 2023. The report reveals shocking details of close-range shootings, with women and children among the victims.
A Perilous Journey
Fleeing conflict in their homeland, hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians have embarked on a treacherous journey through war-torn Yemen in hopes of reaching the oil-rich land of Saudi Arabia, where they believe better opportunities await. However, upon arrival, they have reportedly encountered a new form of brutality.
“We were fired on repeatedly. I saw people killed in a way I have never imagined. I saw 30 killed people on the spot,”
14-year-old Hamdiya recounted to the advocacy group. “I pushed myself under a rock and slept there. I could feel people sleeping around me. I realized what I thought were people sleeping around me were actually dead bodies. I woke up and I was alone.”
The dangers of this journey extend beyond the ongoing conflicts in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Smugglers, taking advantage of desperate immigrants, reportedly dominate the voyages and commit atrocities along the way.
The BBC has also shed light on the extreme violence and peril faced by immigrants traveling to Saudi Arabia. Immigrants have shared harrowing accounts of having limbs severed by gunfire, encountering lifeless bodies left on the trails, and being shot at while attempting to cross the border into the kingdom.
A Deliberate Escalation
While Human Rights Watch has previously accused Saudi Arabia of killing Ethiopian immigrants, the new report titled “They Fired on Us Like Rain” asserts that the documented killings represent a deliberate escalation in both the number and manner of targeted killings.
The report also highlights the use of explosive weapons against immigrants. With the Yemen Civil War raging for nearly a decade, violence in the region remains pervasive, often seen as a proxy conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
A Stain on Foreign Policy
Saudi Arabia, a crucial partner of the United States due to its control of oil and influence in the Middle East and West Asia, has faced scrutiny for alleged human rights abuses in the past. The murder of U.S. resident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi, allegedly by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, prompted calls for the U.S. to denounce the Saudi leader and sever ties with the kingdom.
However, no such decision was made, and the two countries continue to maintain a working relationship. Nevertheless, the perceived human rights abuses by Saudi Arabia cast a significant stain on U.S. foreign policy.
The conflict in Ethiopia, involving various factions including ethno-regional militias, the federal government, and the Eritrean military, has been ongoing since November 2020, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
According to the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration, over 200,000 people attempt the dangerous sea crossing from the Horn of Africa to Yemen and then onward to Saudi Arabia each year.
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