Riyadh denies reports of aggression against Ethiopians on border with Yemen

By Mahmoud Barakat

ANKARA (AA) – Riyadh on Thursday denied allegations that Saudi border guards assaulted Ethiopians who attempted to enter the kingdom from Yemen.

The official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted an official source who asserted that such reports are “unfounded and based on unreliable sources.”

The source “denounced the raising of false allegations by some organizations about the kingdom and the publication and promotion of politicized and misleading reports.”

The Saudi authorities “had previously provided the necessary medical care to groups of people who sustained gunfire wounds by armed groups (that aimed) to push them to enter the kingdom by force across the border,” the source stressed, adding that Riyadh is committed to human rights and international laws.

A recent report by the Human Rights Watch (HRW) claimed Saudi authorities carried out “mass killings” against Ethiopian migrants. The border guards "used explosive weapons and shot people at close range, including women and children," it said.

Approximately 750,000 Ethiopians live and work in Saudi Arabia, according to the rights group. ​​​​​