Houthis Upscale Exploitation of Illegal African Migrants

Somali refugee Bader Abdullah Hassan sits with his son, Muhammad, at their house in Sanaa, Yemen June 18, 2020. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
Somali refugee Bader Abdullah Hassan sits with his son, Muhammad, at their house in Sanaa, Yemen June 18, 2020. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
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Houthis Upscale Exploitation of Illegal African Migrants

Somali refugee Bader Abdullah Hassan sits with his son, Muhammad, at their house in Sanaa, Yemen June 18, 2020. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
Somali refugee Bader Abdullah Hassan sits with his son, Muhammad, at their house in Sanaa, Yemen June 18, 2020. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Houthi militias in Yemen held a funeral service for a number of illegal African migrants that have died on battlefronts alongside their ranks.

The Yemeni internationally recognized government and rights groups condemned Houthis exploiting those who arrived in Yemen illegally and considered the recruitment of migrants a war crime and a violation of humanitarian conventions.

Houthi coupists have recently amped their recruitment of illegal migrants, well-informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat, explaining that the group also uses them to collect funds in exchange for helping them cross into neighboring Saudi Arabia.

Early on this week, Houthis arranged a funeral for an Ethiopian recruit, Mohammed Helm Mohammadou, who had died on the battlefront against Yemeni government forces in Jawf governorate.

Houthis have been losing great ground in battles in Jawf governorate. Many of the group’s leaders and militants have been killed there.

In another funeral service, Houthis raised the pictures of their so-called "martyrs" which included a number of African migrants from Ethiopia and Somalia, sources revealed.

African migrants in Houthi-held Sanaa are being hunted down and arrested by militants who are looking into forcing refugee families to give up their children for forcible recruitment, sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

One of the sources, speaking under the conditions of anonymity, said that Houthis rely of African refugees to replenish their depleted ranks after Yemeni Arab tribes refusing to fight alongside them in Al Bayda, Marib, Jawf and Nihim battlefronts.

International and local reports have warned against the Houthi recruitment campaigns targeting illegal African migrants who braved the sea to arrive at Yemen.

The same reports warned that Houthis, after recruitment, are using the deployed African migrants as human shields.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 11,000 migrants have arrived monthly to Yemen throughout 2019 from the Horn of Africa.

IOM said that the number of African migrants in Yemen through the years 2018 and 2019 exceeds the number of migrants who crossed the Mediterranean to Europe despite the war in Yemen, where more than 280,000 Africans arrived in Yemen during the two years.



UN Rights Council Backs Saudi-drafted Resolution to Protect Children Online

Ambassador Abdulmohsen bin Khothaila presented the resolution to the Human Rights Council during its 59th session, on behalf of the Saudi mission in Geneva. Photo: Saudi mission
Ambassador Abdulmohsen bin Khothaila presented the resolution to the Human Rights Council during its 59th session, on behalf of the Saudi mission in Geneva. Photo: Saudi mission
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UN Rights Council Backs Saudi-drafted Resolution to Protect Children Online

Ambassador Abdulmohsen bin Khothaila presented the resolution to the Human Rights Council during its 59th session, on behalf of the Saudi mission in Geneva. Photo: Saudi mission
Ambassador Abdulmohsen bin Khothaila presented the resolution to the Human Rights Council during its 59th session, on behalf of the Saudi mission in Geneva. Photo: Saudi mission

The United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted a Saudi-drafted resolution aimed at enhancing child protection in the digital realm, a move rooted in a global initiative launched by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.

The resolution, introduced by Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Mission to the UN and international organizations in Geneva, seeks to advance the goals of the Kingdom’s “Child Protection in Cyberspace” initiative.

It aims to translate the initiative’s vision into concrete action through enhanced technical cooperation and capacity building.

Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Abdulmohsen bin Khothaila, presented the draft during the Council’s 59th session under Agenda Item 10, which focuses on technical assistance and capacity development.

The proposal received broad support and was adopted by consensus, with co-sponsorship from Kuwait, Algeria, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and Vietnam.

Addressing the Council, Khothaila stressed that the digital space has become an integral part of children’s lives, offering immense opportunities for learning and connection, while also exposing them to growing risks.

He underscored the need for stronger international cooperation, national capacity building, and technical support to reinforce national frameworks aimed at child protection.

The resolution reflects the core objectives of the Crown Prince’s initiative, including fostering international cooperation, sharing best practices, raising awareness, and equipping stakeholders with the necessary skills to ensure a safer digital environment for children.

It also highlights the importance of tailoring technical assistance to the specific needs and priorities of each country, with the aim of building sustainable national capacities and enhancing communities’ ability to respond to digital threats facing children.

The resolution underscores Saudi Arabia’s commitment to promoting global cooperation for a secure and inclusive digital space for children worldwide, in line with its leadership role and pioneering efforts in cybersecurity and child protection.