By Mohammed al-Kibsi
Yemen’s Interior Ministry has confirmed on its website that armed
gangs in Haradh district, that borders Saudi Arabia, in North Yemen have tortured African
border crossers.
The ministry said it discovered 129 Ethiopians detained by
armed groups. The Ethiopians had been physically tortured and forced to contact
their families in Saudi Arabia with requests that money be transferred, upon
which it would be seized by their captors.
Abdullah Abdu al-Wahsh and Khalid Mohammed Absi have been accused
of leading the gangs, said the Interior Ministry, and noted that Al-Wahsh had
detained 49 Ethiopians within the yard at his residence, with a further 79 held
by Absi. The Ethiopians had arrived in Yemen illegally in order to then pass
into Saudi Arabia.
A security document issued by security management in Haradh revealed
the names of19 persons who have backyards that contain African border crossers,
in several villages in the directorate.
Reports also revealed that African persons had had body
parts cut off as part of attempts to force them to pay.
Security sources confirmed that jails and prisons existed in
al-Sharifiya Department in Haradh directorate, referring to the imprisonment of
a number of African victims.
The Interior Ministry said the hostages have been freed.
The ministry noted that after their release of the Ethiopian
captives in a “rapid and unannounced operation,” they were transferred to
hospitals and migrant centers of voluntary return. The centers are under the
auspices of the International Organization for Migration in Haradh, and the
Ethiopians’ presence there represents a prelude to deportations to their home
countries in cooperation with the IOM.
The security apparatus referred the border crossers to the
prosecutor in Haradh so that legal action may be taken against them.
According to security and human rights statistics, 170 cases
of assault against African border crossers have been monitored from January 1,
2011 until January 24 of this year. The cases involved 90 young victims, 10
women, 50 children and 20 elderly persons.
Most of those attacks were of a physical nature, with many
involving being burned and hit in the face, with many cases also involving
hearing and sight loss.
Security statistics also revealed 156 cases involving
smuggling by gangs, six cases involving border guards in Saudi Arabia, 4 cases with
Yemeni border guards, 4 cases with bandits, as well as 12 cases of robbery and
4 cases of human trafficking.
A number of humanitarian organizations, as well as the
Ministry of Human Rights and security authorities, have demanded an end to such
crimes and those behind them be held accountable.
Security sources have also mentioned the involvement of
sheikhs and other influential individuals in these crimes, whether through the
adoption or protection of such gangs.
No comments:
Post a Comment