Human Rights Watch today accused Saudi border guards of firing “explosive weapons” at Ethiopian migrants trying to cross from Yemen to the wealthy Gulf kingdom, killing hundreds since last year. “Saudi border guards have killed at least hundreds of Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers who tried to cross the Yemen-Saudi border between March 2022 and June 2023,” wrote Nadia Hardman, researcher in the Refugee and Migrant Rights Division at HRW, in a report issued in English. In 2015, Saudi Arabia formed a military coalition to oust the Houthis, who had seized control of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, from the internationally recognised government the previous year. Some survivors described attacks at close range, with accounts of Saudi border guards asking Ethiopians “which limb of their body they would prefer to have shot, and then shooting that limb” the report said. A 20-year-old woman from Ethiopia’s Oromia region reported that Saudi border guards shot at a group of migrants they had just released from custody.

Human Rights Watch alleges that Saudi border guards have killed at least hundreds of Ethiopian migrants and asylum-seekers trying to cross from Yemen into Saudi Arabia between March 2022 and June 2023, in a report released Monday. The killings would be considered crimes against humanity if they were part of a Saudi government policy, according to HRW. The rights group called on the United Nations to investigate. Saudi officials did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press, but they have previously denied its troops killed migrants. HRW said it interviewed 38 Ethiopian migrants and four relatives of people who tried to cross the Yemen-Saudi border during an 18-month period.

Saudi border guards kill hundreds of Ethiopian migrants — HRWEthiopian migrants hold items as they walk out during an assistance packages distribution for migrants at an International Organization for Migration (IOM) center in the city of Hargeisa, Somaliland, on September 19, 2021. LONDON, United Kingdom — Saudi border guards have fired "explosive weapons" on Ethiopian migrants trying to cross through Yemen into the Gulf kingdom, killing hundreds since last year, Human Rights Watch said on Monday. "Saudi officials are killing hundreds of migrants and asylum seekers in this remote border area out of view of the rest of the world," HRW researcher Nadia Hardman said in a statement. Some survivors described attacks at close range, with Saudi border guards asking Ethiopians "in which limb of their body they would prefer to be shot", the report said. One 20-year-old woman from Ethiopia's Oromia region said Saudi border guards fired on a group of migrants they had just released from custody.

A Saudi government source denied Human Rights Watch’s accusations that Saudi border guards killed hundreds of Ethiopian migrants. A Saudi government source told Agence France-Presse that the accusations are baseless and not based on reliable sources. In a report, Human Rights Watch accused Saudi border guards of firing heavily and using explosive weapons to kill Ethiopian migrants who were trying to cross from Yemen into the kingdom. “We have raised our concerns about these allegations with the Saudi government,” a US State Department spokesperson said on Monday. “We urge the Saudi authorities to undertake a thorough and transparent investigation and also to meet their obligations under international law.”

Abu Dhabi [UAE], August 21 (ANI/WAM): The Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC) to foster the robust economic collaboration between the UAE and Ethiopia and establish a framework for cooperation that advances trade, investment, and economic relationships between the two sides. The signing of the MoU was held on the sideline of the UAE delegation's visit to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Joining the visiting delegation to Ethiopia, D. Ali Saeed bin Harmal Al Dhaheri, First Vice Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Chamber, signed the MoU on behalf of the Abu Dhabi Chamber, whereas Lelise Neme, Commissioner of the EIC, represented her organisation in signing the document. According to the MoU, the Abu Dhabi Chamber will facilitate and promote business interactions and investments between the UAE and Ethiopia. On the other hand, the EIC will commit to offering incentives to UAE investors following Ethiopian laws and establishing a continuous dialogue platform to address investment challenges.

Rights group says Saudi Arabia border guards fired on and killed hundreds of Ethiopian migrantsA rights group alleges that border guards in Saudi Arabia fired machine guns and launched mortars at Ethiopians trying to cross into the kingdom from Yemen, likely killing hundreds of the unarmed migrants

Shockingly, in some cases, Saudi border guards asked migrants what limb to shoot, and then shot them at close range. Saudi border guards also fired explosive weapons at migrants who were attempting to flee back to Yemen, according to the 73-page report. People traveling in groups described being attacked by mortar projectiles and other explosive weapons from the direction of Saudi border guards once they had crossed the border. Those interviewed described 28 incidents with Saudi border guards using explosive weapons. According to the report, people traveling in smaller groups or on their own said once they crossed the Yemen-Saudi border that Saudi border guards carrying rifles shot at them.

Saudi Arabia, struggling with youth unemployment, has been sending thousands back to Ethiopia in concert with Addis Abba. Two sets of fence lines could be seen just across the border into Saudi Arabia. The U.N. has said that the Houthi-controlled immigration office “collaborates with traffickers to systematically direct migrants” to Saudi Arabia, bringing in $50,000 a week. However, throughout the war years, the Houthis claimed multiple incursions across the Saudi border in this mountainous region. Migrants from Ethiopia have found themselves detained, abused and even killed in Saudi Arabia and Yemen during the war.

Joining the visiting delegation to Ethiopia, His Excellency Dr. Ali Saeed bin Harmal Al Dhaheri, First Vice Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Chamber, signed the MoU on behalf of the Abu Dhabi Chamber, whereas Her Excellency Lelise Neme, Commissioner of the EIC, represented her organization in signing the document. Dr. Ali Saeed bin Harmal Al Dhaheri, First Vice Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Chamber, said, “This MoU embodies our shared commitment to fostering economic cooperation, trade, and investment between our countries considering Ethiopia’s fertile investment climate and the unlimited support of both countries’ leaderships. It paves the way for positive partnerships, the exchange of expertise, and the mutual growth of our economies. This involves leveraging its networks and resources to connect Ethiopian businesses with potential UAE investors, and facilitating the exchange of information on trade and investment laws and regulations in the UAE to support the Ethio-UAE Business Forum. On the other hand, the EIC will commit to offering incentives to UAE investors in accordance with Ethiopian laws, and establishing a continuous dialogue platform to address investment challenges.

Border guards in Saudi Arabia have regularly opened fire on African migrants seeking to cross into the kingdom from Yemen, killing hundreds of men, women and children in a recent 15-month period, Human Rights Watch said in a report released on Monday. The guards have beaten the migrants with rocks and bars, forced male migrants to rape women while guards watched and shot detained migrants in their limbs, leading to permanent injuries and amputations, the report said. The shooting of migrants is “widespread and systematic,” it said, adding that if killing them were Saudi government policy, it would constitute a crime against humanity. A Saudi government statement dismissed the report as inaccurate. “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.

Saudi border guards have fired "explosive weapons" on Ethiopian migrants trying to cross through Yemen into the Gulf kingdom, killing hundreds since last year, Human Rights Watch said on Monday. "Saudi officials are killing hundreds of migrants and asylum seekers in this remote border area out of view of the rest of the world," HRW researcher Nadia Hardman said in a statement. Last year, UN experts reported "concerning allegations" that "cross-border artillery shelling and small arms fire by Saudi Arabia security forces killed approximately 430 migrants" in southern Saudi Arabia and northern Yemen during the first four months of 2022. In 2015, Saudi officials mobilised a coalition to topple the Huthis, who had seized the Yemeni capital Sanaa from the internationally recognised government the previous year. One 20-year-old woman from Ethiopia's Oromia region said Saudi border guards fired on a group of migrants they had just released from custody.

HRW has documented, in a report made public on Monday, “widespread and systematic” abuses committed by Saudi border guards against mostly Ethiopian refugees who flee armed conflict, economic hardships and droughts in their homelands. The nongovernmental New York-based organisation said hundreds, and likely thousands, have been murdered by Saudi border guards between March 2022 and June 2023, and killings are continuing. Witnesses say they were targeted by firearms, explosives, and artillery and mortar shelling from Saudi border guards when trying to cross. Some saw dozens killed in front of their eyes, while others experienced serious injuries like amputations, or saw refugees arrested. The people who survive the attacks but do not manage to escape back into Yemen are detained by Saudi border guards.

The allegations, which Riyadh did not immediately comment on, point to a significant escalation of abuses along the perilous "Eastern Route" from the Horn of Africa to Saudi Arabia, where hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians live and work. "Saudi officials are killing hundreds of migrants and asylum seekers in this remote border area out of view of the rest of the world," HRW researcher Nadia Hardman said in a statement. Last year, UN experts reported "concerning allegations" that "cross-border artillery shelling and small arms fire by Saudi Arabia security forces killed approximately 430 migrants" in southern Saudi Arabia and northern Yemen during the first four months of 2022. In 2015, Saudi officials mobilised a coalition to topple the Huthis, who had seized the Yemeni capital Sanaa from the internationally recognised government the previous year. One 20-year-old woman from Ethiopia's Oromia region said Saudi border guards fired on a group of migrants they had just released from custody.

New Delhi: Saudi Arabia border guards have killed hundreds of Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers using small arms and explosive weapons since last year, Human Rights Watch said in a report released on Monday. The New York-based group cited eyewitness reports of attacks by troops and images that showed dead bodies and burial sites on migrant routes, saying the death toll could even be “possibly thousands”. Human Rights Watch interviewed 38 Ethiopian migrants and four relatives of people who attempted to cross the border between March 2022 and June 2023 who said they saw Saudi guards shoot at migrants or launch explosives at groups.

The greatest threat for flooding is across the Basin & Range and the eastern Sierra. For travelers overnight, the heaviest rainfall is forecast to occur before sunrise, so road damage, closures or flooding will be difficult or impossible to see. Have multiple ways to receive alerts in case flood warnings are issued, and never drive through flooded roadways. * Abundant cloud cover and rainfall will keep afternoon high temperatures 10 to 20 degrees below normal through Tuesday, with Monday likely being the coolest day. * Stay tuned to the National Hurricane Center by visiting www.hurricanes.gov for the latest on Hilary.