Saudi Forces Accused of Killing Hundreds of Ethiopian Migrants
TimeAug 25, 2023
HRW Report: Saudi Border Guards Have Killed Hundreds of Migrants
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Image copyright: Al Jazeera/Flickr [via Wikimedia Commons]
The Facts
According to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report released Monday, Saudi Arabia's border guard has killed hundreds of Ethiopians with machine gun and mortar fire as they tried to cross into the kingdom from Yemen based on evidence collected between March 2022 and June 2023.
The report cites interviews with 42 Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers and over 350 videos and photographs showing dead bodies and burial sites posted to social media, as well as satellite imagery.
The Spin
Narrative A
Yet again, it has become clear that Saudi Arabia is committing grave human rights abuses against some of the most vulnerable people on the planet. The Houthis, of course, are also committing crimes, but the Saudi border guard is committing regular massacres against migrants, and the international community must hold it accountable for these brutal discretions.
Narrative B
Given that there is no reliable evidence that the Saudi border guard abused any migrants, such allegations against the kingdom are completely baseless.
