Saudi Arabia rejects ‘unfounded’ HRW allegations of killing Ethiopians at Yemen border

Saudi Arabia rejects ‘unfounded’ HRW allegations of killing Ethiopians at Yemen border
Saudi Arabia has denied accusations made by Human Rights Watch that Saudi border forces killed hundreds of Ethiopian migrants on its border with Yemen. (AFP/File)
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Updated 22 August 2023
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Saudi Arabia rejects ‘unfounded’ HRW allegations of killing Ethiopians at Yemen border

Saudi Arabia rejects ‘unfounded’ HRW allegations of killing Ethiopians at Yemen border
  • HRW report accuses Saudi forces of shooting, using explosives to kill migrants, mostly Ethiopian
  • Saudi government source says accusations were 'unfounded and not based on reliable sources'

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has rejected accusations made by Human Rights Watch that Saudi border forces killed hundreds of Ethiopian migrants on its border with Yemen.

Speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, a Saudi government source said the accusations were baseless.

“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 source said.

Saudi authorities have also strongly denied allegations made by UN officials in 2022 that border guards systematically killed migrants last year.

In its report, HRW accused Saudi border guards of shooting heavily and using explosives to kill migrants, mostly Ethiopian, who were trying to cross into the Kingdom from Yemen.