A Saudi government source denied Human Rights Watch’s accusations that Saudi border guards killed hundreds of Ethiopian migrants.
A Saudi government source told Agence France-Presse that the accusations are baseless and not based on reliable sources.
In a report, Human Rights Watch accused Saudi border guards of firing heavily and using explosive weapons to kill Ethiopian migrants who were trying to cross from Yemen into the kingdom.
“We have raised our concerns about these allegations with the Saudi government,” a US State Department spokesperson said on Monday.
“We urge the Saudi authorities to undertake a thorough and transparent investigation and also to meet their obligations under international law.”
On Tuesday, Ethiopia said it would work with Saudi Arabian authorities to investigate the allegations made by HRW.
“The Government of Ethiopia will promptly investigate the incident in tandem with Saudi Authorities,” the Ethiopian foreign ministry said in a statement.
There was no comment from Saudi Arabia.
