Amrutha Avasarala, Pune
Hundreds of African immigrants were killed by Saudi guards in its Yemeni border, says a report by Human Rights Watch, released on Monday.
“We were fired on repeatedly. I saw people killed in a way I have never imagined. I saw 30 killed people on the spot. 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.”, said a 14-year-old victim, Hamdiya.
Ethiopians make up the majority of the African immigrants that traverse Yemen to enter Saudi Arabia in search of work. Explosive weapons were used to cruelly slaughter hundreds of these folks. A handful were reportedly forced to rape women in front of the guards, according to the article. They were put to death if they refused. People were occasionally asked where they wished to be photographed. Rocks and bars were thrown at the migrants. Many were traumatized as a result. The guards also used explosive weapons against those attempting to flee to Yemen after being recently freed from Saudi prison. Additionally, it is claimed that the killings were widespread and organized.
In a telephonic interview with the Times, Abdulaziz Yasin, a prominent member of the Ethiopian community said, “Every day, there are three, four or five migrants being killed, Sometimes, 10, 20 or 30 get killed at once. There are a lot of Africans being killed.”
The report by HRW named “ They Fired on us like Rain” contains testimonials by the migrants and the victims. 21-year-old Mustafa Soufia Mohammed told the BBC, “ The shooting went on and on” . “I didn’t even notice I was shot, but when I tried to get up and walk, part of my leg was not with me.”, he said. He was crossing the border in a group of 45 people in July last year.
“The allegations included in the Human Rights Watch report about Saudi border guards shooting Ethiopians while they were crossing the Saudi-Yemeni border are unfounded and not based on reliable sources,” the statement said.
Due to several climatic and economic factors, the individuals sought to reach Saudi Arabia, an oil-rich country, in order to work there and support their families. This may be a strenuous effort to stop these immigrants from entering the nation.