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WARNING
This video contains violent images and descriptions including people being shot at, and dead bodies. Viewer discretion advised.
Actor’s Voices have been used to protect the identity of the people Human Rights Watch interviewed for the film.
Audio recording, Actors’ Voice:
Even when I remember, I cry. I saw a guy calling for help, he lost both his legs. He was screaming and saying, “are you leaving me here? Please don’t leave me.” We couldn’t help him because we were running for our lives.
Voiceover:
Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers have been tortured, injured or killed by Saudi Arabian border guards at the Yemen-Saudi border. At least hundreds have been killed trying to make this crossing between March 2022 and June 2023.
Audio recording, Actors’ Voice:
When Saudi border guards see a group, they fire continuously, when they kill everyone, they go down to collect all those who didn't die. This is what happened to me. I survived, and they came to meet me and showed me the dead. Then they took us to a detention center and beat us all there.
Voiceover:
Human Rights Watch’s extensive investigation includes firsthand accounts from 42 people, and the verification and geolocation of over a hundred videos and photos and the analysis of hundreds of square kilometers of satellite imagery. We found evidence that Saudi border guards have used explosive weapons and shot people at close range. In what appears to be a policy targeting migrants and asylum seekers, including women and children, at the border. Human Rights Watch believes this may amount to crimes against humanity. Saudi Arabia’s border forces should stop intentionally using lethal force, to kill Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers with explosive weapons.
Audio recording, Actors’ Voice:
It was during the night. We were traveling towards the Saudi border. Then we saw Saudi border guards. They told us to stop. While they walked towards us, they opened fire and fired bullets at us. One bullet hit a rock and hit my leg. My leg is broken around my knee.
Voiceover:
While many migrate for economic reasons, including drought, a number of Ethiopians have fled because of serious human rights abuses by their government, including during the recent, brutal armed conflict in northern Ethiopia.
Audio recording, Actors’ Voice:
When the firing stopped the Saudi border guards took us. In my group there were seven people, five men and two girls. The border guards made us remove our clothes and told us to rape the girls. The girls were 15 years old. One of the men refused. The border guards killed him on the spot. I participated in the rape, yes. To survive I did it. The girls survived because they didn’t refuse. This happened at the same spot where the killings took place.
Voiceover:
This dangerous migration route, often referred to as the 'Eastern route', spans from the horn of Africa, across the Gulf of Aden,
through Yemen and into Saudi Arabia. Migrants and asylum seekers
crossing into Saudi Arabia usually do so in the mountainous border area, aided by a network of smugglers and traffickers and facilitated by the Houthi forces
who control northern Yemen.
Audio recording, Actors’ Voice:
We walked in the mountains for about five days. We walked in groups, minimum 300 people, and most of the group was female. Then there was firing from the border guards, and they were firing big rocket launchers at us. It was like a bomb. Of the 300 people, 150 died.
Voiceover:
Smugglers operating in Yemen take people to two informal camps before attempting to cross the border. Al Thabit camp is located northwest of the border, and Al Raqw camp has only a river separating it from Saudi Arabia. Both camps act as holding areas with thousands of people preparing to cross the border. Many interviewees said Houthi forces controlled the entry and exit into the camps and would often extort bribes from the
migrants or transfer them to detention centers. Migrants and asylum seekers often saw Saudi border guards patrolling the crossing points in large vehicles with what witnesses described as large objects mounted on the back of their vehicles, believed to be weapons. Human Rights Watch interviewed survivors who say they lost one or more limbs due to the use of explosive weapons or shootings at the border.
Audio recording, Actors’ Voice:
The Saudi border guards were firing big things like mortars at us. They fired from the back of a truck. We lost 130 people that day, the majority were women and children.
Voiceover:
Although the number of deaths has not been confirmed, Human Rights Watch has identified at least eight burial sites near Al Raqw camp and has counted at least 287 graves on satellite images as of June 2023. Many have described bodies being buried in remote areas or left unburied along the route. They describe a pattern of large scale violence and cross-border killings. This video was sent to and verified by Human Rights Watch. The video shows the bodies of at least two migrants hidden under bushes just north of the trail from Al Thabit camp in Saudi Arabia. A likely Saudi border guard post is visible approximately 1.3 kilometers away from where the bodies were found.
Voiceover:
Humanitarian assistance and safe passage should be provided to migrants and asylum seekers trying to cross the border from Yemen to Saudi Arabia, and those responsible for what may amount to crimes against humanity should be held accountable.
- Bitooteessa bara 2014 irraa egalee hanga Waxabajjii 2015 tti Daangaa Eegdonni biyya Sawudii Arabiyaa, godaantotaa fi koolu gaafattoota biyya Itiyoophiyaa kan daangaa Yemeniifi Saaudii giddu qaxxaamuruu yaalan dhibbaan kan lakkawaman ajjeesani.
- Gaggeessitoonni Saawudii gar tokkoon fakkii biyyaa isaanii tolchuuf qarshii biliyoonota spoortii adda adda irratti kan baasan yoo ta’ellee, haala addunyaa jalaa dhokateen garuu dubartootaa fi daa’imman dhibbaan lakkawan ajjeesaa jiru.
- Saawudii Arabiyaan poolisii godaantotaa fi koolu gaafattoota irratti humna ajjeechaa fayyadamuu jajjabeessu kamillee hatattamaa fi ariitiidhaa hojjirra oolchuu dhaabuu qabdi. Biyyoonni dhimmi kun isaan ilaallatuu itti gaafatamummaa fiduuf dhiibbaa gaggeessuutu irra jiraata, akkasuma Dhabbanni Mootummoota Gamtoomanii (UN) qorachuu qaba.
(London) - Bitooteessa bara 2014 irraa egalee hanga Waxabajjii 2015 tti daangaa Eegdonni biyya Sawudii Arabiyaa, godaantotaa fi koolu gaafattoota biyya Itiyoophiyaa kan daangaa Yemeniifi Saaudii giddu qaxxaamuruu yaalan dhibbaan kan lakkawaman ajjeesaniiru jedha dhaabbanni Human Rights Watch ripoortii har’a baaseen. Kan raawwatame kun poolisiiwwan Saudii Arabiyaan godaantota ajjeesuuf baasteen kan raawwatame yoo ta’e, ajjeechaawwan raawwatamanii, fi ammas kan itti fufee jiru kun, akka yakka namooma irratti raawwatame tahee ilaalama.
Gabaasa fuula 73, “”Akka bokkaatti dhukaasa nurratti roobsan’: Ajjeechaa jumlaa Sa’udii Arabi’aan godaantota Itiyoophiyaa daangaa Yemeniifi Saawudii irratti.” Goodaantota baay’ee ajjesuuf daangaa egdonni biyya Sawudii Arabiyaa meeshaawwan dho’iinsaa fi, goodantota kaan immoo dhiyeenyarra dhaabbachuun kan itti dhukaasan yoo ta’u, dubartoota hedduu fi daa’imman dabalatee dhukaasa qindaawaa irratti gaggeessaniiru. Yeroo adda addaattis, daangaa egdonni biyya Sawudii Arabiyaa kunneen qamakee keessaa kam akka si rukunnu filadhu jechuun goodaantota gaafachuun, itti dhihaatanii dhaabachuun dhiyeena irraa itti dhuakaasaniiru. Daangaa egdonni biyya Sawudii Arabiyaa kunneen godaantota baqatanii gara Yemenetti deebi’uu yaalan irratti meshaalee dho’iinsaa dhukaasaniiru.
“Gaggeessitoonni Saawudii haala addunyaa jalaa dhokateen godaantotaa fi koolu gaafattoota dhibban lakkaawaman ajjeesaa jiru,” Jedhu, dhaabbata Human Rights Watchiitti, qorattuu mirga baqattootaa fi godaantotaa kan taate, Nadia Hardman. Fakkii biyya Saawudii tolchuuf qarshii biliyoona baasuun taphattoota tapha Golfii, Kilabii kubbaa miilaa, fi taateewwan bashannansiisoo gaaggeessuun yoomiyyuu yakkoota hamoo gaggeeffamaa jiran kunneen irraa xiyyennaffannoo dabsuun irra hinjiraatu.”
Dhabbanni Human Rights Watch namoota 42 kan interviwuu godhe yoo ta’u, kunis godaantotaa fi koolu gaafattoota Itoophiyaa 38 kan ta’an bitootessa 2014 hanga Waxabajjii 2015 tti kan daangaa Yemenirraa Sauuwudii seenuuf yaalan kan of keessatti qabatuuf fi akkasuman firoota yookaan hiriyoota godaantotaa kan waqtii jedhame sana gara daangaa seenuu yaalan 4 kn dabalatu ta’a. Human Rights Watchiin vidiyoowwan 350 olta’aniifi suuraalee midiyaa hawaasaa irratti gadhifaman yookaan maddewwan irraa ergaman qorachuun, akkasumas fakkii saatalaayitii kilomeetira dhibbaan lakkaawamanirraa argamanii illee ilaaleera.
Human Rights Watch xalayaa gara Sawudii fi hooggantoota Huutiitti barreessee ture. Hooggantoonni Huutiis haaluma kanaan guyyaa gaafa Hagayya 09, 2015 xalayaa barraa’eef deebii kennaniiru.
Sawudii Arabiyaa keessa kan jiraatanii fi hojjetan tilmaamaan Itoophiyaanonni 750,000 ni ta’u. Baay’een isaanii jireenya isaanii fooyyessuuf kan godaanan yoo ta’u, walitti lola hamaa Kaaba biyyattiitti dhiyeenya kana gaggeeffame walqabatee illee dhiibbaa miga dhala namaa hamaa kan baqatan lakkoofsaan kan lakkaa’aminillee ni jiru.
Human Rights Watchiin ajjeechaa godaantotaa daangaa Yemenii fi Saawudii giddutti gaggeeffamu bara 2006 A.L.H. irraa eegalee faayileessaa kan ture yoo ta’ellee. Ajjeechawwan kun tole jedhamee kan raawwatamu ta’ee lakkofsaa fi xiyyeeffannoo guddaan ittiima fufee jiraachuu isaa ni mul’ata.
Akka godaantotaa fi koolu gaafattoottotni jedhanitti, galoo galaana Eden kan qaxxaamuran doonii rakkistuun yoo ta’u, Sana booda garuu Dallaalonni biyya Yemen isaan fuudhuun gara Sa’adaa naannoo daangaa Sauuwudii kan bulchiinsa humna hidhattoota Huutii jalatti argamuutti isaan geessuu isaanii himan.
Humnoonnii Huutii baay’een kan dallaalota kanaa wajjin hojjetan yoo ta’u, godaantota irraa qarshii buufachuu yookaan immoo akka godaantonni kunneen jedhanitti gara mana hidhaa lafa namoonni hanga “qarshii bahiinsaa” kaffalanitti cunqurfamanitti isaan dabarsu.
Yeroo hedduu godaantonni garee hanga nama 200 of keessaa qabatu ta’uun daangaa Saa’wudii seenuu kan yaalan oggaa ta’u, yeroo eegdota daangaa Saawudiin boodatti deebifaman illee irra deddeebi’uun qaxxamuruu yaalu. Akka godaantonni kun jedhanitti, yeroo baay’ee gareen isaanii dhiirotaa fi daa’imman kophaa ta’an dabalatee, hedduminaan garuu dhalaa kan of keessaatti qabatu taha. Dhimma kana waliin kan qabatu, Human Rights Watchiin bakkeewwan eegdota daangaa Saawudii kana fakkii Saatalaayitii irraa adda baasuu danda’eera. Human Rights Watchiin konkolaataa dho’iinsa dandammatuu fi dhoksaan kan dhaabbate, Onkolooleessa 1, 2013 ALHtti hanga Amajjii 2015 ALHtti buufata eegdota daangaa Saawudii tokko irratti kan muldhate yoo ta’u, konkolaataan kana irratti qawwee Matriyeesii ulfaataan irra keessa isaatti hidhamee kan mul’atuudha.
Namoonni gareen godaanan akka ibsanitti, daangaa qaxxaamuruun eega Sawudii keessa seenaniin booda, meeshaa Moortarii fi meeshaalee dhohiinsaatiin kallattii buufata eegdota daangaa Sawuudii irraa dhufuun rukutamuu isaanii ibsu. Namoota interviwuu godhaman keessaa, taateewwan 28 eegdonni daangaa Saawudii meeshaalee dhohiinsaa akka fayyadaman ibsaniiru. Namoonni du’arraa oolanis, warra saawudii Kanaan mana hidhaa keessa tursiifamuu isaaniifi namoonni tokko tokko ji’ootaaf akka hidhamanis ibsaniiru.
Taateewwan sodaachisoodha jechuun baay’een isaanii ibsu: reeffi dhalaa, dhiiraa fi daa’immanii baay’een garmalee kan miidhaman dabalatee, kan du’anii fi qaamni isaanii kan ciccite gaara keessa faca’ee aragama. “Jalqaba osoo waliin nyaannuun argan ture, amma garuu isaanii du’aa jiruu” jedhe namni tokko. Namoota tokko tokko qaamni isaanii iddoo baay’eetti waan cicciteef eenyu akka ta’e adda baasuun hindanda’amu, kanneen kaanis kan iddoo lama qixatti gargar citan ni jiru.”
Qorannoo digiitaalaa Human Rights Watchiin gaggeeffameen, vidiyoowwan miidiyaa hawaasaa irratti gadhiifamaniifi kanneen gara dhaabbata Human Rights Watchiitti ergaman akka agarsiisutti, qaamota namoota du’anii fi kan mada’anii karaa miilaa irra, kaampii keessaa fi dhabbattoota fayyaa keessa jiran arguun mirakaneessee fi bakkeewwan isaanii illee adda baaseera. Qorannoon taa’umsa lafaa akka agarsiisutti, naannoowwan kaampii godaantotaatti bakki awwaalchaa heddummachaa dhufuu fi ijaarsi sekkiwuuritii daangaa adda adda babal’achaa dhufuun adda baafameera.
Gareen dhaabbata walabaa qorannoo Foorensikii kan dhaabbata International Rehablitation Council for Turture Victims, qorattoota foorensikii bebbekamoo addunyaa kan ta’an vidyoowwanii fi footowwan godaantota mada’anii fi du’anii akkamitti miidhaan sun akka isaan irra gahe fi madaa’an qorataniiru. Akka bu’aan qorannoo isaanii madaawwan qoratamanii ilaalchisuun ibsetti “Meeshaalee dho’iinsaa gubaannaa abiddaa uumaniifi faca’aniin kan uumame ta’uu isaa ifatti kan mul’atu yoo tahu” kanneen biroon rukuttaa rasaasa qawweetiin kan madaa’an ta’uu muldhisa” akkasumas nama tokko irratti, “gubannaan sirriitti mul’ata.”
Namoonni garee xixiqqoo yookaan immoo kophaa isaa deeman akka jedhanitti immoo, yeroo tokko daangaa Yemen irra gara saawudii erga seenaniin booda eegdonni daangaa Saawudii qawwee baatan isaanitti dhukaasani. Akkasuman namoonni kun akka ibsanitti eegdonni kunneen dhagaa fi ulee sibiilaan isaan tumuu ibsani. Namoota interviwuu godhaman keessaa kudha afur kan ta’an akka raga bahanitti, yeroo dhiheenyarraa namoonni itti dhukaafamee rukutaman arganiiru yookaan immoo ofiis rukutamaniiru. Namoonni jaha dhohiinsaanis tahe dhukaasa dhihoorraa godhamuun midhamaniiru.
Namoonni tokko tokko akka jedhanitti, eegdonni daangaa Saawudii bakka taa’umsa isaanii irraa gadi dhufuun namoota akka reeban ibsu. Dhiirri umrii 17 tokko akka jedhetti, eegdonni daangaa sun isaa fi godaantota kan biroo dirqisiisuun ijoollee shamarran isaan waliin jiran lama gudeedaa jechuun isaan dirqisiisan. Eegdonni kunneen mucaa shamarran kana ani hin gudeedu jedhee dide tokkos achumatti ajjesani.
Saawudii Arabiyaan hatattamaa fi ariitiidhan polisiiwaan akkanaa kana hojiirra oolchuu dhaabuu qabdi. Ta’e jedhamees haata’u, malaan, poolisiiwwan meshaalee fi humna ajjeechaa godaantotaa fi koolu gaafattoota irratti xiyyeffachuun dhohiinsa fayyadamuu fi rasaasaan dhiyeenyarra dhaabbatanii itti dhukaasuun dhaabbachuu qaba. Mootummaan wanta kana qorachuun haalaan namoota ajjeechaa seer malee, madeessuu, fi gochaa hammeenyaa namarratti raawwachuu kana irratti hirmaatan sirreessuu fi seeratti dhiheessuu qaba.
Mootummoonni dhimmi kun isaan ilaallatu, Saawudii Arabiyaan polisii akkanaa akka hojiirra oolchuu dhaabduu waamicha gochuu fi itti gaafatamummaa fudhachuu akka qabdullee ifatti dhiibbaa gochuu qabu. Akkasumas, mootummoonni dhimmi kun isaan ilaallatu, gaggeessitoota Sawudii fi humna hidhattoota warra Huutii rakkoo daangaa kana irratti qoodha fudhataa jiran irratti qoqqobbii gatuu qabu.
Qorannoo dhaabbata gamtoomaniin (UN) deggerame dhaabbachuun kolaafamni godaantota irra gahee fi ajjeechaan kunneen yakka namooma irratti raawwatame tahuu isaa qoratamuu qaba.
“Eegdonni daangaa Saawudii namoota siivilii tahan kan hin hidhanne irratti dhukaasaa jiraachuu isaanii ni beeku yookaan beekuutu irra jiraata ture.” Jetti Hardman. “Wanta godaantotaa fi koolu galtoota Itoophiyaa irra gahe kanaaf itti gafatamummaan hojiirra hin oolu taanan, ajjeechaan fi rakkoo irra gahu itti caalee akka itti fufu godha.”
