The government of Ethiopia says it will “promptly investigate the incident in tandem with the Saudi suthorities” after a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), revealed massive allegations of killings of Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers attempting to cross the Yemen-Saudi border by Saudi border guards.
The statement by the Ethiopian ministry of foreign affairs said “at this critical juncture, it is highly advised to exercise utmost restraint from making unnecessary speculations until investigation is complete,” adding that despite “the unfortunate tragedy”, the two countries “enjoy excellent long standing relations”.
HRW said Saudi Arabia’s border guards had killed hundreds of Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers who tried to cross the Yemen-Saudi border between March 2022 and June 2023. It said that if the killings were committed as part of a Saudi government policy, the killings would be a crime against humanity.