URGENT: Within hours Ethiopian refugee demonstrators will be met with brutal force for demanding justice for the immolation of their families
[March 22, 2021, 8:00 PM EDT] Contact: Husam Kaid +1 (929) 434-7323, Jemal Sadik +1 (612) 483-0161
The Yemeni-Oromo Coalition for Refugee Rights strongly condemns the insistence of the Houthi militias to employ force to disperse the Ethiopian refugee protestors who have been demonstrating in front of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees building in Sana’a, Yemen to demand justice for the burning of Oromo Ethiopians and other African refugees.
The Houthis gave the refugee demonstrators a 24-hour ultimatum to stop the demonstrations or face violence–the ultimatum will end by early Wednesday morning (EST).
Human rights lawyer and spokesperson for Oromo Ethiopian refugees, Arafat Jabril, says the demonstrators in Sana’a are calling upon the international community to “hold the perpetrators of this grave crime against humanity accountable.”
For two weeks, protesters have been demanding an investigation regarding the burning of their families at the Houthi-administered Sana’a Immigration and Passports Authority holding facility and the disclosure of the total number of victims killed in this holocaust.
The Yemeni-Oromo Coalition for Refugee Rights, therefore, reaffirm the refugees’ right to peaceful assembly and we hold the Houthis accountable for the safety and well-being of the refugees demonstrating at the UNHCR in Sanaa.
We also demand the immediate intervention of UNHCR and the IOM to prevent another holocaust from taking place.
Read more: Link to the press release here
A statement of demands signed by co-sponsors here.
Link to recording of the press conference here.
More news of the incident here (Arabic)
More news of the incident here (Arabic)
Sam for Rights & Liberties report here
Google drive that includes videos and photos of the incident here.
The coalition consists of Oromia Global Forum, the SAM Human Rights & Liberties, Nas Development and Human Rights Center, Union of Oromo Communities in Canada, Bridges for Yemen, Oromia Support Group, Global Oromo Communities Association, Oromo Human Rights and Relief Organization, Oromo Relief Association UK, Human Shields, Oromon Youth Community, Advocacy for Oromia, Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa.
