The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Sudanese emigrants in Morocco: “One of my friends was beaten by several police officers until he was lifeless”

2022-07-05T21:35:15.256Z


A group of migrants who attempted to jump the fence on June 24 denounce brutality by Moroccan agents Mohamed is a 19-year-old Sudanese who went to the Rabat (Morocco) headquarters of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on Monday with a head injury. Next to him, a dozen compatriots awaited his turn in the street. They all claim to have participated in the attempted mass entry of June 24, which ended, according to official figures, with 23 dead migrants and 216 wounded, of which 140 were agents. Several


Mohamed is a 19-year-old Sudanese who went to the Rabat (Morocco) headquarters of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on Monday with a head injury.

Next to him, a dozen compatriots awaited his turn in the street.

They all claim to have participated in the attempted mass entry of June 24, which ended, according to official figures, with 23 dead migrants and 216 wounded, of which 140 were agents.

Several emigrants show the wounds they suffered that day from the blows.

Mohamed also says that he witnessed how two of his colleagues died at the hands of Moroccan agents.

“One of my friends, Wares Aman, 22, was beaten with a very big stick.

And the other, Mohamed Hssien, 20, was beaten by several policemen until he was left lifeless on the ground.

They kicked him, although he could no longer move.

And one of the policemen said: 'Let him die there,' says Mohamed.

More information

Brussels considers “unacceptable” the death of people at the Melilla border

Several of the Sudanese accompanying Mohamed say that one of the emigrants who tried to cross to Melilla fell with his guts "bursting" when he was hit by a canister of smoke shot by the Moroccan security forces.

The Moroccan authorities have not reported, so far, on the identity of the 23 dead.

It is also not known if an autopsy has been performed on the bodies.

It is also unknown when the funeral will take place.

The day after the tragedy, the local authorities had 21 graves dug in the Sidi Salem cemetery in Nador.

But after the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) denounced that it was "scandalous" that the victims were buried without due investigation, the graves remained open.

The attempt to enter Melilla by at least 1,700 emigrants on June 24 has raised the concern of various international organizations.

The African Union and the UN human rights office called for an independent investigation to determine possible responsibilities.

Also, this Monday, the European Commissioner for the Interior, who considered "unacceptable" the death of people on the fence.

And every day there are new testimonies that can be investigated.

The Nador delegation of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH), published this Monday on its Facebook page, the words of the brother of Mohanad Maamoun Aissa, a 20-year-old Sudanese medical student who died at the border on June 24.

"My brother was bleeding in front of me for hours after receiving violent blows to the head without any help until his death under my eyes..."

Many of the Sudanese who come to the UNHCR these days in Rabat to request asylum have also recounted what they have seen, according to sources from the aforementioned UN agency.

"People have come here with quite serious injuries who have been referred for medical care," says the same source.

Adam Ali, 18, has one finger in a cast and broken teeth on his upper gum;

Selomon Haftu, 19, has a broken arm in a cast.

They assure that it was the Moroccan police, gendarmes and auxiliary forces who beat them with batons and sticks.

Mohamed Ali, 23, says that another of the Sudanese who entered the UNHCR offices on Monday lost an eye on Friday.

The young Sudanese Adam Ali (on the left) and Abdo Abkar show their injuries sustained during the attempted jump over the Melilla fence. Francisco Perejil

The Sudanese migrants complain that they were taken away from Nador in buses guarded by the police and that during the trip they did not receive medical attention.

Later they were left in cities like Casablanca, Rabat or Beni Mellal.

And now, many of them try to regroup by spending the night in the open or in abandoned buildings.

“Morocco is not a safe place”

Mohamed Ali, the assumed name of a 23-year-old Sudanese man who requests anonymity, assures that on Friday "very early" helicopters were already flying over the mountains.

“It was clear that they were going to throw us out of there.

We go down to the border.

We didn't want to hurt anyone, we just wanted to get to a safe place.

Morocco is not a safe place for us.

And we were able to get to about five or ten meters before the border post without any problems.

From there, the Moroccan forces began to hit us very hard.”

The Moroccan Justice plans to begin next week the trials against 62 emigrants accused of various crimes related to the attempted assault on the Melilla fence on June 24.

The first session was scheduled for this Monday at the Nador Court of First Instance, where 33 emigrants, mostly Sudanese, will be tried.

Finally, the hearing was postponed for next Tuesday, July 12, so that the emigrants' lawyers can have time to prepare their defenses.

Another 29 emigrants will be tried as of Wednesday, July 13, at the Nador Court of Appeals.

Regarding possible official investigations into the actions of the agents, nothing has transpired.

The Moroccan Attorney General's Office has not initiated any investigation on its own.

And the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), an independent official body, sent an exploratory mission to Nador of which no results are yet known.

“It is an informative mission, not an investigation,” a source from the aforementioned organization told this newspaper.

However, the CNDH will have access to a good part of the testimonies that the Sudanese emigrants have made in the Rabat offices of the UN Refugee Agency (Acnur).

The material to investigate is not lacking.

50% off

Exclusive content for subscribers

read without limits

subscribe

I'm already a subscriber

Source: elparis

All news articles on 2022-07-05

You may like

Trends 24h

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.